On a day that saw twenty batsmen perish, all of them to spin, the wicket which sealed a decisive victory for Surrey was that of Gary Keedy – the man who Lancashire’s groundsman, Peter Marron, probably had most in mind when he was preparing the surface. If indeed that was the thinking it would suggest the home side seriously under-rated young Nayan Doshi’s chances of running through the Lancastrians’ top order like a dose of salts.

As the hosts subsided to 129 all out in their second dig Doshi recorded career best figures of six for 67 and his first ever match aggregate of ten or more – eleven for 192 to be exact. For the second time this season – on both occasions when his team have run out convincing winners – the number of dismissals effected by Jonathan Batty was up in double figures.

In contrast, Keedy’s match return was nine for 207 and a contest that may well give the Red Rose’s own captain-wicketkeeper Warren Hegg nightmares in the days, months and possibly years to come ended with sections of the crowd calling for him to fall on his sword. Hegg headed straight for one man sat in front of the pavilion, who had caught his attention as he trudged off at the close. Presumably the discussion related to the pros and cons of such a move.

When Scott Newman padded up to the ninth ball of the day Lancashire were still very much in the hunt, but, after an 18-year break, the sight of a Butcher and a Clinton joining forces for Surrey started to place doubts in the minds of the hosts. In the final analysis their stand of 57 in fifteen overs proved to be crucial, though it was a league or two below Brown’s performance on the opening day.

Mark Butcher was unfortunate, perhaps, to be given out leg before for not offering a stroke, but there were no such complaints from Mark Ramprakash and Richard Clinton, who could not control the deliveries they lobbed to fielders placed in the off-side ring. Excessive turn also undid Alistair Brown, who tried to cut a ball angled across him, and Jon Batty, sweeping, went to a bat-pad catch, which was snapped up at forward short leg.

Azhar Mahmood countered the turn brilliantly, though, but required a staunch ally in Tim Murtagh and no shortage of luck. The Pakistan all-rounder could have been out on 18, 26 and 29. In the end his unbeaten 58, which included two sixes off Keedy (the second of which brought up his half-century), put the game beyond the Lancastrians’ reach.

When it came to their turn to bat, the home side simply had no answer to Doshi and ultimately no real stomach for a fight. After Iain Sutcliffe was caught behind in the tenth over, a shooting delivery accounted for Mal Loye. Mark Chilton was snapped up by Murtagh, running in from the long-off boundary, Stuart Law played back to one that pitched in line with leg stump and straightened and Carl Hooper tamely prodded to slip.

At that stage Doshi was on course for all ten wickets, but the introduction of Jimmy Ormond’s off-spin from the Stretford End in the previous over – the 29th – accelerated Lancashire’s demise. To sum up the last meaningful action, Schofield paid for playing back, Chapple was stumped off one that bounced underneath his bat and Cork was caught by forward leg via the glove.

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