Yesterday, Northants battled gamely to keep their side in the match. In particular, skipper David Sales, who was still there at the close with an unbeaten 50 off 106 balls. On a slow, dry and dusting surface that is making life far from easy for the batsmen, the home side ended proceedings just less than a hundred runs behind Surrey, who will not want to be less than 75 ahead when they start their second dig.

Sales’s patient knock came on top of half-centuries from Tim Roberts and Martin Love, while the star for the visitors was slow left-armer Nayan Doshi, who took four for 87 including the wickets of Roberts and Love.

Following the loss of Rob White to the new ball, lbw on the back-foot to one that appeared to skid through from Jimmy Ormond, the second-wicket pair combined for 104 in thirty-six overs, matching one another run for run.

Love, making his first-class debut for Northants, made an attractive 51 off 124 balls including eight boundaries. However, two deliveries after following his partner to his own half-century, the Aussie spooned a catch to short extra-cover.

Thereafter wickets fell at regular intervals. Roberts, who made 57 off 138 balls, was out attempting a sweep shot. Usman Afzaal was caught down leg side off Ian Salisbury and Graeme Swann, cutting Ormond’s off-spin, was caught behind.

The lengthy employment of Ormond’s spin spared Salisbury an arduous workload after Phil Sampson fell heavily on his right shoulder in the field and was unable to get through more than a couple of overs.

Although wayward on occasions, Nayan Doshi was, for a time, the only real threat Surrey appeared to possess. Graeme Swann got after him briefly before being caught at the wicket off Ormond. Then Azhar Mahmood returned to the fold to nip out Johann Louw and Ben Phillips.

With Doshi snaring Toby Bailey and Carl Greenidge in the space of an over the visitors, who were 140 ahead with a single Northants wicket to take, had the game by the scruff of the neck. But then things dried up for the Oval outfit, with David Sales and Jason Brown sharing in a dogged unbeaten tenth wicket partnership of 42.

The day had begun with Surrey losing their last four first innings wickets for twenty runs. Azhar Mahmood was run-out off the first ball, following a complete breakdown in communications between himself and Ian Salisbury.

Salisbury’s forward defence was then beaten by the turn and Doshi played around a darted-in delivery from Brown – which gave him season best figures of five for 113 from 47 overs – before Ormond miscued to mid-off.

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