When Surrey travelled to Grace Road two years ago, by lunchtime on day three it appeared as though the Oval outfit were heading for certain defeat. So sure were they that victory would be completed early on the final day, the administrators chose to make it a free gate. Incredibly, the visitors managed to hold on for a draw.

With five sessions to go in the match that finished there yesterday, Lewis, the self-appointed twelfth member of Leicestershire’s team, was conspicuous by his absence from the county ground. Perhaps he could not face watching his heroes follow-on. But yesterday, patrolling the area in front of the pavilion, he was looking larger than life again in his Hawaiian shirt and Panama hat, extolling the virtues of line and length (every time).

So, there have been twists and turns at Grace Road in the past and there could well be a few more in the finale to this season’s County Championship.

Surrey, who slipped to second in the Division One table following this result, are not without their problems. Later today, the Oval outfit will learn whether Martin Bicknell will be available for tomorrow’s game against Lancashire at Old Trafford. With Alex Tudor still battling against injury, now, more than ever, the defending champions need the services of the veteran seamer.

There is also the condition of Mark Ramprakash’s left shoulder, which he injured when fielding at short leg on Friday and which resulted in the former Middlesex man only taking the field briefly as substitute yesterday.

Thankfully, Azhar Mahmood is available, despite suffering a broken nose while batting, but Surrey’s two leading wicket-takers appear to be going off the boil at the wrong time. Jimmy Ormond’s first thirty wickets this season cost him just 16.37 runs apiece. His last 19 have come at an average of 41.79. Also, at Leicester, Saqlain Mushtaq was wicket-less for the first time in a championship match since July 2001.

Saqlain bowled just four overs yesterday, all of them in the morning session, during which Leicestershire added more than a hundred runs to their overnight total without incurring any further losses. John Maunders went past 150 in 355 deliveries, while John Sadler’s half-century was eked out over 129 balls. It did include ten eye-catching boundaries, however – mainly through the area of extra cover when the seamers were in operation.

The pair of young Foxes combined for 135 runs in 45 overs before Maunders, sweeping, gloved Ian Salisbury into the paws of Jonathan Batty in the third over after lunch. Sadler, who went on to record his maiden first-class hundred off 186 balls, had made 81 when Graham Thorpe and Ian Ward were asked to start force-feeding the Leicestershire batsmen.

John Sadler repaid Thorpe by giving him his first first-class wicket since 1996, Adam Hollioake pouching the catch at short extra. However, the home side were so determined to set Surrey a target of 300 they batted beyond the point of keeping their opponents interested.

With no wins, just three games to go and four victories regarded as the safety-mark, it would appear that Leicestershire have, in their own minds, accepted relegation to the second division. However, the defending champions will hope that they can show the same kind of resolve when Sussex entertain them at Hove in the last round of matches.

Meanwhile, Surrey and Sussex both play Lancashire, whilst also facing tricky fixtures against Kent and Middlesex respectively. The bookmakers still have the Oval outfit as favourites to lift the title, at 8/11, but the odds on Sussex have now shortened to even money.

With England seemingly out of the Test series with South Africa, maybe it will be the County Championship that will capture the imagination of the cricket-watching public as the 2003 season reaches its climax.

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