Having looked out of the game before Jade Dernbach joined forces with Andre Nel on the third morning, Surrey cruised to their first championship win in 17 attempts thanks to a fifty from Mark Ramprakash and useful contributions from Arun Harinath and Rory Hamilton-Brown. All thoughts of Northants setting-up a run chase were dispelled when the hosts went from being 154-4 overnight to 224 all out, with Nel picking up 4-68, his best figures of the season, to cap a memorable game with the bat and the ball for the South African.

Needing 241 off a minimum of 68 overs for victory, the Surrey openers had already knocked off 26 after three. Steven Davies cover drove Nicky Boje for two fours in the space of three balls then pulled Chaminda Vaas to the advertising boards at mid-wicket. Later in the same over Harinath despatched the Sri Lankan left-armer to the rope at cover.

In the seventh over, Davies fell when David Willey, diving to his left, held on to a good catch at mid-wicket off the bowling of Boje. Ramprakash announced himself with a cut drive for four off Lee Daggett. In the next over, the 12th, he brought up the fifty for the visitors by cutting Boje in front of square on the off-side.

Harinath moved to 48 by working Willey through the on-side for four in the 23rd over, but perished next ball when he was caught on the mid-wicket rope by Rob White. Hamilton-Brown then struck 45 off 42 balls, getting off the mark with a cover driven boundary off Willey to bring up the hundred for the visitors.

The 30th over saw the Surrey skipper hit Boje for three fours in four balls - the first to third man, the next through extra cover and the third over the bowler's head. Four overs later, Hamilton-Brown took his side past the 150-mark with an edged four which flew past Hall's outstretched left hand at slip off White.

James Middlebrook's change of ends in the last over before tea brought Northants the wicket of Hamilton-Brown, but with Surrey needing just 85 to win off 33 overs in the final session the result was a near formality.

Shortly after the break Usman Afzaal cover drove Middlebrook wristily for four. In the next over, the 38th, Ramprakash cut Boje to the rope at cover point before sweeping the South African fine for four. Four overs later, Ramprakash progressed to his second half-century in the match, off 94 deliveries, to leave his side needing just 47.

Victory was sealed at 5.18pm when Afzaal flicked Middlebrook behind square on the off-side for two runs, leaving Ramprakash with an undefeated 79 from 143 balls.

Six wickets fell in the morning session. Boje went to the fourth ball of the day when he slapped Tim Linley to the right of Matthew Spriegel at backward point. Three overs later David Sales, attempting a quick single to mid-wicket off Dernbach, was beaten by Chris Schofield's direct hit at the bowler's end to bag his first pair in eight years.

In the 58th over, Andrew Hall worked Linley backward of square on the leg-side for four before pulling him to the mid-wicket boundary. But three overs later the Northants skipper was caught behind off an outswinging delivery from Nel, who picked up the wicket of Middlebrook minutes later when the former Essex man lost sight of the South African's slower ball.

Vaas and Willey then combined to put on 31 in eight overs for the ninth wicket - runs which, at the time, seemed to be putting the game beyond Surrey's reach. In the 64th over, Vaas pulled Schofield through mid-wicket for four. Six overs later the Sri Lankan slog swept the former England leg-spinner for another, though not before on driving Nel to the rope.

In the 71st over, Willey drove Dernbach straight up the ground for four. But moments later Vaas was walking back to the dressing room having been leg before to a slower ball that he clearly felt he had got some willow on. Four overs later Daggett was cleaned up by Dernbach, who finished with figures of 3-42.

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