When Surrey last lost to Middlesex, the Oval was in the throes of what its former Chairman, Mike Soper, terms ‘The Revolution’. The year was 1995 and a combination of complacency and mismanagement off the pitch was being mirrored by a malaise on it. Yesterday’s result will give weight to the view that Surrey are in a trough once more. As far as the team’s performances are concerned it is hard to argue otherwise.

Surrey’s talented squad have now gone six championship matches without a win – their longest barren run for four years. With disquiet over Ian Ward’s departure to Sussex refusing to go away, not to mention questions still being raised as to the wisdom of making the opening batsman and wicketkeeper lead the side as well, the men calling the shots behind the scenes at SE11 face an increasingly uncomfortable existence the longer the county’s lack of success continues.

Nobody doubts that the appointment as Cricket Manager of Steve Rixon was the right one and, in truth, the absence of Ward has not been Surrey’s undoing in the opening two matches of the new campaign. Far from it – Scott Newman has made a blistering start. But their batting’s propensity to collapse, a fall in Saqlain Mushtaq’s stock, plus key players missing either because of England commitments or injury now means that Surrey are not feared as much as they were even less than a year ago.

Middlesex showed the visitors respect yesterday, but at no stage did they look in danger of surrendering. Concluding that it would take a monumental collapse to lose if the top order got through the opening session relatively unscathed, Sven Koenig and Ben Hutton played a waiting game, allowing the shine to go off the ball naturally.

The first nineteen overs of play saw just four boundaries, all of them on the leg-side, but then Koenig moved up a gear by on driving Ian Salisbury and running Saqlain down to third man to take him within sight of his fifty, which he duly reached off 94 balls. The Italian passport holder was out on the stroke of lunch when Adam Hollioake moved himself into silly point and, within moments, accepted a tame bat pad opportunity. Koenig’s disappointment was known to all when his return to the home dressing room was soon followed by the sound of breaking glass.

Hutton, who survived difficult chances either side of the interval – the first when, on 33, he might have been caught at slip off Saqlain and, on 48, when he seemed to edge a dipping delivery from Ormond to the keeper – reached his second half-century of the match in 137 deliveries. Hutton’s fifth and sixth boundaries, close on the heels of his landmark, took his side past 150 and in partnership with his captain 108 were added in 30 overs for the second wicket.

Hutton was caught behind on the stroke of tea, but, as usual, Owais Shah was a cut above. It would have been fitting if his fifty off 70 balls could have been translated into an unbeaten 70 or 80. When Ed Joyce pulled Salisbury into the grandstand for six Middlesex needed 24 to win. Shah, who will have every reason to look back on this match fondly, departed next ball to a catch at deep mid-on. But the result was never in doubt, not even when Joyce went caught and bowled. At 4:50pm Paul Weekes duly cracked Salisbury through point to seal it for the home side.

If it is any consolation to Surrey, Sussex lost in similar circumstances at Lord’s last season and went on to win the title. How they must be hoping that it proves to be a lucky omen.

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