At times, on what proved to be the final day at the Oval, Gloucestershire wobbled. But thanks to Alex Gidman's unbeaten 76 off 111 balls the Bristolians deservedly leap-frogged their well-touted hosts to go third in Division Two of the LV= County Championship. Ian Saxelby's career best 6-69 was also instrumental, but, as on day one, a number of his victims were complicit in their own downfall.

Needing to defend a modest victory target, Surrey suggested they were up for the challenge, before losing heart alarmingly when Alex Gidman found a useful ally in Richard Coughtrie, who came to the crease with his side in trouble at 54-5.

In the 12th over, Yasir Arafat struck twice in as many balls. Hamish Marshall, having just cut him for four, edged to second slip. Kane Williamson then lost his off stump to a gem of a delivery.

Three overs later, a superb catch by Tom Maynard at third slip accounted for Chris Dent. When Chris Taylor was caught down the leg-side in the 18th over and Will Gidman edged behind in the 21st, it looked as though the hosts might pull off a memorable victory, but it was not to be.

Gidman steadied Gloucestershire's ship by straight driving Tim Linley and on driving Zander de Bruyn. But it was Coughtrie who raised the fifty partnership for the sixth wicket, by despatching Arafat through cover for four in the 36th over.

The Gloucestershire captain brought up his own half-century in the following over, with a flick to the rope at fine leg off Linley. Gidman's fifty came from 77 deliveries and was celebrated, moments later, with successive fours through the off-side off Jade Dernbach.

Just before tea, Coughtrie's resistance was eventually broken by Linley, but, at the interval, the visitors needed just 38 to take the spoils.

For some inexplicable reason Rory Hamilton-Brown persevered with his, by now, tired-looking trio of front-line seamers, while Gareth Batty and Matt Dunn, who, between them, had only sent down six overs in the first innings, were completely overlooked in the second.

In the eighth over after tea, Alex Gidman became top scorer in the match when he cut Dernbach for four. Ed Young applied the finishing touches in the next over by despatching Linley to the rope at cover and backward square leg.

Earlier, Surrey collapsed from 179-5 to 195 all out in the space of seven overs, leaving Gloucestershire needing 160. Having hit off-side boundaries in the third and fourth overs of the day, Batty, attempting to drive a wide ball from Ian Saxelby, was caught behind for 23 in the 51st over.

Three overs later, Mark Ramprakash, who, despite looking out of sorts, had seen out the first hour, went leg before. The 41-year-old's unwavering 75 had come in 207 minutes, off 138 balls. But there was little substance to what then followed.

In the 55th over, Arafat, who had been dropped on eight, was swallowed at first slip before adding to his score. Four balls later, Linley was caught behind to give Saxelby his first ever six-wicket haul, not to mention his tenth scalp of the match.

Three overs later, Jon Lewis wrapped things up by having Dernbach caught on the rope at wide long-on.

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