When tea arrived with Surrey struggling on 138 for four, chasing a target of 353 in the best part of five sessions, or 163 overs, few would have predicted that Alistair Brown and Rikki Clarke would share in a fifth-wicket stand worth 189 in just 32 overs to see the Brown Caps to their objective without the need for a fourth day.

As it was, the odds were stacked in the home side's favour. In 161 previous first-class meetings before yesterday, Surrey had not scored more than 225 in the fourth innings to beat Somerset. Furthermore, the Brown Caps not registered three successive championship victories since May 2002 and had not won in Scrumpyland in the County Championship since 1986. The last time Surrey tasted success at Bath was way back in 1959, when Jim Laker spun them to victory with figures of 7-59

For more than two days it had appeared as if the visitors were relaxing their stranglehold on the second division. After conceding a first innings lead of 76, they had the 21-year-old Neil Saker to thank for keeping them in the hunt with a career best four-wicket haul that included the scalp of Matthew Wood.

In hindsight, Wood's dismissal was the turning point. Having batted for more than three and a half hours for his 69 off 154 balls and added 108 for the fourth wicket with his skipper, the 25-year-old was trapped palpably leg before by the fresh-faced seamer, who plays his club cricket for Guildford.

The hosts then proceeded to lose their six remaining wickets for 86 runs, with Ian Salisbury picking up four for 36 with his leg-spin. Cameron White led by example, making 108 in 114 deliveries.

Once again, Charl Willoughby was Somerset's most threatening bowler. The left-arm seamer had Scott Newman caught at third slip. Richard Johnson accounted for Jonathan Batty with a ball that appeared to keep low. When Mark Butcher was caught at mid-wicket and the enduring Mark Ramprakash went to an excellent catch by Carl Gazzard low to his right, the visitors found themselves 129 for four.

But, in the end, what had appeared to be a stiff target was achieved with embarrassing ease. The only chance that it might not have been came when Rikki Clarke, attempting to reverse sweep left-arm spinner Arul Suppiah, was dropped at deep cover by Peter Trego on 43. Had Trego held on Surrey would have been 208 for five it might have been a very different story.

Clarke reached fifty off 38 balls, with eleven fours; Brown's half-century followed off 60 deliveries, with nine boundaries. Having last week combined for Surrey's best partnership of the season, the fifth wicket pair became set.

Brown, who made an thoroughly entertaining 63 in Surrey's first innings, reached the 41st hundred of his first-class career off 106 balls, with 19 fours. After Clarke holed out for 77 and James Benning failed again, he saw his side home after they claimed the extra half-hour and hitting Wes Durston for a straight six in the process.

Surrey now have five championship victories this season. With Anil Kumble still to come, the second division title appears to be theirs to lose.

GO TO:

BACK TO: