Only 55.3 overs of play were possible on a grey and decidedly wintry third day at the Brit Oval yesterday, during which time Lancashire suggested they would struggle to avoid being asked to follow-on by Surrey. But even if they are, today's weather forecast increases the likelihood of this contest ending in a draw; which would be a shame because the hosts have been on top almost from ball one. What a difference a year makes.

With the visitors resuming on 63-1, Paul Horton cover drove James Ormond for four in the first over. The 25-year-old needed just 64 balls to bring up his fifty, shortly before the Lancashire total went past the one hundred-mark in the day's tenth over.

The visitors' nightwatchman, Gary Keedy had a let-off on 18, when he dabbed Ormond low to first slip, where Mark Butcher was unable to scoop up the chance. But in the 33rd over, Keedy, driving, but beaten for pace, lost his off stump off what appeared to be an inside edge; though not before his partner fell victim to a delivery from Ormond that lifted and left him just enough to clip the outside edge.

Horton's innings of 59 off 76 balls included ten boundaries. What is more, it suggested that his impressive record in 2007, his first full county season, is merely a foretaste of what is set to come in 2008.

In the 35th over, Mal Loye was called through for a quick single by Brad Hodge, but neither had counted on the accurate arm of Chris Schofield - on the field against his old county as substitute for Usman Afzaal - who swooped in from cover to throw down the stumps at the batsman's end.

With their side 117-4, Hodge and fellow Australian Stuart Law decided to take no chances, and in the run up to lunch just 12 runs were scored in nine overs. After the break, however, both Antipodeans were quick to latch on to anything wide of the timbers. The introduction of spin at both ends saw Hodge sweep Saqlain Mushtaq over mid-wicket for four the drive Afzaal to the long-off boundary.

The visitors' first batting bonus point of the season came in the 62nd over, but then Law, who has a first-class average of 64.35 against Surrey, failed to use his feet to Pedro Collins and drove the West Indian left-armer to mid-off where Mark Ramprakash held on to a good catch. In the corresponding fixture at Old Trafford a year ago the turning point in the contest came when the former Middlesex man dropped what, it has to be said, was a half chance at gully off Law, who, at the time, was on nine. He went on to make a decisive 120.

Law's downfall brought Andrew Flintoff to the crease. The England all-rounder was nothing but positive. He hit four boundaries off his first 13 balls, including three consecutive fours off Chris Jordan. It was not long, however, before Flintoff was trudging back to the dressing room, caught at slip off Saqlain for a run-a-ball 23.

Butcher, who claimed the catch, had earlier been hit in the face when Jonathan Batty flung off his right glove in order to field the ball off Collins.

A couple of bouncers from Jordan to Luke Sutton prompted the umpires to offer the light to batsman, who gladly accepted the chance to take refuge in the Bedser Stand for the remainder of the day.

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