Prior to this contest, Derbyshire had only beaten Surrey at the Oval four times in the County Championship, the last occasion being in May 1966. So, for them to record a fifth win by powering to their biggest victory over the South Londoners, in terms of runs, made a mockery of the pre-season odds for this year's Division Two title; which saw Surrey installed as 9-4 joint favourites and Derbyshire 16-1 outsiders. The hosts' line-up included just three players from the eleven that suffered their first loss of the 2009 campaign at Derby twelve months ago. Although the outcome was the same, Derbyshire were made to work hard for their victory after Surrey had initially collapsed to 33-4 having been set an unlikely 374 in a minimum of 76 overs.

Arun Harinath, who got off the mark with a cover driven four, edged the final delivery of the fourth over on to the base of his stumps. Three overs later, Mark Ramprakash recorded only his third first-class duck in nearly five years when Tim Groenewald plucked out the great man's off peg, which, understandably, triggered a boisterous celebration by the Derbyshire players.

Usman Afzaal departed in the second over after lunch when Greg Smith, bowling around the wicket, parted the left-hander's middle and off stumps with one that swung in late. 16-3 became 33-4 when Rory Hamilton-Brown nibbled at a ball that Graham Wagg had angled across the Surrey captain in the 16th over.

Matthew Spriegel, who had witnessed the butchery from the other end, was joined at the crease by Steven Davies, who was soon despatching Groenewald confidently through the off-side. The fifth wicket pair added a purposeful 34 in nine overs before it was Spriegel's turn to chop on.

Two overs later, Gareth Batty, having been sent back by Davies, was sitting on his backside and seemingly in no man's land, but he survived thanks to a misdirected throw from short fine leg by Dan Redfern.

In the 27th over, Smith, who, by this time, was purveying his off-spin, was cut to the rope at cover point by Davies, who then transferred his weight on to his front foot to produce an almost identical outcome.

Davies, who also took two boundaries off Peterson in the 38th over, went to tea on 48, though not before Batty, pushing half forward, was trapped leg before by Groenewald. Davies duly brought up his half century off 84 deliveries, but when he played on in the 49th over, Surrey looked done for.

Stuart Meaker and Andre Nel stood firm for fifteen of the 27 overs that remained, during which Nel survived a raucous shout for lbw from Groenewald. But Robin Peterson, who, with the pitch taking spin, had been expected to play a more prominent role on the final day, wrapped things up starting with the wicket of Nel, who was leg before trying to play the slow left-armer from the crease.

Earlier, Chris Rogers brought up his second hundred of the match off the day's first delivery, his century taking 127 balls and including 13 fours. Smith's departure, to a return catch to Spriegel two overs later, saw Redfern join forces with his captain. For the next fourteen overs the fifth wicket pair fairly tucked into the Surrey bowling.

Rogers picked Afzaal up over wide long-on for six in the sixth over of the day. Seven overs later the Derbyshire skipper despatched Jade Dernbach to the rope at long-off and then to deep backward square leg to move to 133 with successive fours.

Hamilton-Brown brought Tim Linley on in place of Dernbach at the Vauxhall End only for Redfern to take two consecutive boundaries of him as well. Redfern eventually went for 44, holing out to deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Afzaal. The visitors declared their innings an over later, though not before Wagg had collected two sixes and a reverse swept four in three balls from Batty.

Rogers, who appeared to enjoy another life on 135, when Batty induced an edge to the keeper, finished with an unbeaten 140 off 163 deliveries and a match aggregate 340 - the sixth highest ever recorded against Surrey.

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