SCARBOROUGH has moved a step closer to retaining two County Championship matches from next season – but at the expense of two limited overs fixtures.

Earlier this year, the ECB announced they would be cutting the number of Championship matches from 16 to 14 from 2017.

There were immediate concerns for out-ground cricket, which still stand around the country.

But Yorkshire have sent out a survey to their members asking for their views on two options with regards to the future of cricket at the North Marine Road venue.

The first is to retain two Championship matches at Scarborough and move the two limited overs fixtures scheduled there each year back to Headingley.

The second is to play one Championship match and two limited overs matches at Scarborough.

It is clear that Yorkshire are keen for two Championship matches to remain at Scarborough.

And in a letter to members, chief executive Mark Arthur set out five bullet points for them to consider. They are as follows:

* Championship matches at Scarborough attract the largest aggregate crowds in the country.

* One-day matches attract larger crowds at Headingley than they do at Scarborough.

* One-day matches in 2017 will be played in April and May.

* If too much cricket is taken away from Scarborough, it will have a negative impact on the club’s ability to maintain first-class status, due to loss of income.

* Yorkshire players and coaching staff enjoy playing Championship matches at Scarborough.

Arthur finished his letter to the members by saying that the unanimous view of the Members’ Committee is to adopt option one – to retain two Championship matches at Scarborough.

In 2010, Yorkshire signed a ten-year staging agreement with Scarborough to host ten days of cricket there each year between 2011 and 2020, inclusive, as long as the county schedule remained the same.

Meanwhile, only 16.4 overs were possible on day two of Yorkshire’s Championship match against Surrey at the Oval yesterday.

The visitors had by the better of things as Surrey slipped from 121-2 to 121-5 before recovering to 164-5 from 49.4 overs in decent batting conditions.

David Willey struck twice and Steve Patterson once in the space of nine balls between the 40th over and the 42nd.

Willey comprehensively bowled Zafar Ansari with a yorker for 40, ending an 85-run stand inside 17 overs with Aaron Finch.

Australian Finch was next to go when, in the 41st, he drove Patterson to short cover to fall for 52. He had only just brought up his 50 off 53 balls with nine fours.

And in Willey’s next over, he had England limited overs team-mate Jason Roy caught behind for a two-ball duck at the third attempt by Andrew Hodd after the wicketkeeper had failed to grasp the initial chance.

Steven Davies, a centurion in the reverse fixture at Headingley earlier in the season, then led a counter-attacking recovery with 29 not out.

He shared 43 unbroken in 8.2 overs with Ben Foakes, unbeaten on 14.

Davies hit all eleven runs, including successive boundaries, off Adil Rashid’s only over of the morning, the 49th.

Unfortunately, only four more balls were bowled before the rain arrived at 12.20pm to force an early lunch. Play was eventually called off for the day at 4.30pm.