On Sunday, following his side’s mauling of Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, the Surrey cricket manager Keith Medlycott said: “There’s no way we see Azhar Mahmood as our second overseas player.” Just over an hour into proceedings yesterday you could see what he meant. The visitors were 47 for five and Azhar, in his ninth over, had taken four for 23. Despite a captain’s knock of 65 from Philip DeFreitas, Leicestershire’s problems were compounded when Mark Ramprakash and Alec Stewart carried the home side to the brink of parity for the loss of only two wickets.

The Surrey side showed two changes from the one that triumphed at Nottingham. Jimmy Ormond, said to be nursing a twinge, and Alex Tudor, who is likely to require minor surgery on his knee, dropped out. To replace them in came Rikki Clarke and the fit again Ian Salisbury.

After winning the toss the visitors collapsed to 70 for seven. Virender Sehwag, looking to drive, was taken at slip off the first ball he received from Azhar Mahmood, who, in his next over, had Trevor Ward caught behind off a top edge. 19 for two became 25 for three when Darren Maddy chased one from Martin Bicknell that was slightly wider and moving away off the seam.

Maddy was succeeded by Darren Stevens who was caught low down at first slip off the bowling of Azhar. Paul Nixon then hit the Pakistani for two legside fours in three balls before the busy Brad Hodge, pushing half forward, was adjudged lbw by Neil Mallender.

The Leicestershire wicketkeeper, trying to flick the ball to leg, skied a catch to first slip and then Jeremy Snape, having survived chances on nine and ten, cut the ball to backward point for the second time in as many overs to give Surrey their seventh success.

Having picked Clarke up over square leg for six just before lunch, Philip DeFreitas – ably supported by David Masters – set about restoring a modicum of pride. After bringing up the fifty partnership in 73 deliveries, with a back-foot driven cover drive off Mark Butcher, the Leicestershire captain immediately took another boundary off the England number three before off driving Bicknell.

DeFreitas’s partnership of 85 with Masters was ended after nineteen overs when the former Kent seamer was caught low down at third slip off the bowling of Azhar. DeFreitas then turned his attention to Saqlain Mushtaq. But, immediately after taking a third boundary off him, he committed too early to the sweep and was bowled for 65. In addition to his six, he hit eleven boundaries, making his runs off 58 balls.

Charlie Dagnall brought up the two hundred with his fifth four in two overs from Azhar Mahmood, after which Devon Malcolm spooned a catch to backward point off Saqlain. Azhar finished with five for 78 - his figures spoilt somewhat by Dagnall, but nevertheless his first ‘fifer’ of the new season.

Ian Ward, who collected three boundaries off David Masters’s first over, went early on – playing a backward defensive on to his stumps.

Resuming the final session on 66 for one, Surrey’s two Marks combined for 41 in sixteen overs before Butcher steered Malcolm into the hands of Stevens at first slip.

Alec Stewart announced himself by taking three boundaries off of Malcolm. He then settled into the role of accompanying a watchful Mark Ramprakash through to stumps, which were eventually drawn at 7.16pm.

Ramprakash brought up a thousand championship runs against Leicestershire with a slog-swept six over long-on off Virender Sehwag. In the Indian’s next over the former Middlesex man posted his half-century in 94 deliveries. By way of contrast Stewart’s fifty was predictably succinct, occupying just 57 balls.

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