What proved to be the last day of Surrey’s 2003 championship season saw a third defeat in a row, and the second successive loss inside three days for Oval outfit. It now seems hard to believe that prior to the campaign they were considered all but odds-on favourites to retain their crown and, therefore, secure their fourth title in five years.

However, the last month has seen such a catastrophic dip in form Surrey are unlikely to be one of next year’s fancied sides, especially with talk of Lancashire and Sussex seeking to strengthen this winter and the likes of Worcestershire joining the leading pack. A telling statistic was that the last time the South Londoners lost three championship matches on the spin was back in 1995, when the club was in complete upheaval. Just how telling it is will depend on how quickly Surrey can re-assert themselves next term.

Victory for the already relegated Essex was set up by Andy Flower’s wonderfully measured double century and completed by their other overseas representative, Mohammed Akram, who collected a career best eight for 49 and at one stage looked set to become the first player since 1994 to take all ten. The Pakistani’s first four scalps came without him conceding so much as a run.

Admittedly, the home side were weakened by a long injury list, but whether the Physio’s bench has seen all of Surrey’s missing stars in the last week is debatable. Given that the reasons for last weekend’s two high profile departures were purely financial, there was still second place prize-money at stake when the match began. It was, therefore, somewhat surprising that Mark Butcher and Franklyn Rose were not pressed into action.

Mind you, with the sort of form Jonathan Batty has been in this summer – 968 first-class runs at an average of 56.94 – Butcher may well have been sidelined if the title had depended on Surrey winning this game. Not for the first time in recent weeks Batty’s was a cool head, while his colleagues were going about losing theirs. The 29-year-old keeper saw four wickets fall at the other end for 26, before he was joined for nearly two hours in a 96-run partnership for the fifth wicket by James Benning.

Akram’s first 33 balls saw Scott Newman being caught at forward short leg, Nadeem Shahid skying a pull to a shortish square leg, Rikki Clarke bowled off stump and Alistair Brown being beaten all ends up.

Requiring 147 to make Essex bat again, the home side had got to within 44 of their opponents by lunch. Benning hinted of greater deeds in the future by batting as positively as the circumstances permitted, while Batty dropped anchor and simply picked off anything loose. After the break he launched the ball over the third man boundary, but then became victim number five for Mohammed Akram. James Benning followed not long afterwards, also for 47, when he edged a drive to James Foster.

Two overs later Ben Scott was caught behind in an attempt to pull an off stump delivery and Tim Murtagh was yorked first ball. But with Ian Salisbury and Phil Sampson putting on 56 in fourteen overs for the ninth wicket, Akram’s bid to pull off a clean sweep ran out of steam at it was left to Graham Napier to polish Surrey off.

Needing 49 for victory, Essex wrapped things up in nine overs and one ball. The hosts did manage to pick up a couple of wickets as wicketkeeper Scott took a couple of good catches off Sampson to dismiss Will Jefferson and the immensely gifted Alastair Cook.

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