Yesterday, for only the second time since September 1998, Surrey were defeated by an innings. During the last 6½ years, the former powerhouse of county cricket have inflicted 14 of their own, including victories by an innings both at home and away to Nottinghamshire when the Trent Bridge outfit paid a one-off visit to Division One in 2003.

As well as avenging those losses, this result was the reward for some excellent all-round cricket on Nottinghamshire’s part which suggested they will do more than simply stay up this season. Indeed, as well as topping the table Notts now boast four of the eight leading run-makers in the top flight of the County Championship; Chris Read is only one dismissal behind Division One’s principal stumper – Hampshire’s Nic Pothas – and Ealham, Sidebottom and Swann have all claimed ten or more wickets in three outings.

For Surrey, who needed a theoretical 255 more runs to make the visitors bat again, the tail simply delayed the inevitable. Mark Ramprakash and Martin Bicknell hung around for a further 95 minutes in the morning, despite the new ball being taken in the third over of proceedings, putting on a total of 101 for the seventh wicket before both fell in successive overs.

In the 111th over Bicknell, whose half-century took him 84 balls and included seven fours, was trapped leg before by Mark Ealham and Ramprakash followed shortly afterwards when he swept at and missed an off-stump delivery from Graeme Swann.

Jimmy Ormond then shared in fifty-run partnerships for the ninth and ten wickets, which eked things out for another 30 overs. Ormond lost Doshi, when Ryan Sidebottom plucked out the spinner’s middle stump, before being the last man out, following a long hold-up because of rain, caught behind for 35 off 74 balls.

Ramprakash, who batted for nearly six hours in all, went to his third hundred in successive matches off 240 balls. Should he maintain that run against Glamorgan later this week, the former Middlesex man will become one of only three Surrey batsmen to have scored four centuries in four consecutive first-class matches more than once.

Meanwhile, Micky Stewart, the chairman of Surrey’s cricket committee, has vowed to take swift and decisive action against the player, or players, found guilty of twice interfering with the ball on day one of the contest.

The 72-year-old the former England manager did not rule out the possibility of a sacking. Stewart said: “What has happened is not good for the name of Surrey County Cricket Club and it will be treated accordingly. I don’t want to go into detail, but the action the club takes will be very significant. Ideally, we want to get it all done and dusted before the next match starts on Wednesday."

Stewart has also spoken to Surrey’s acting captain Mark Ramprakash and asked head coach Steve Rixon, who missed the first three days of the match due to a family matter, to interview each of the players.

The findings will not be made public until the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been notified and Gerard Elias QC, the chairman of its disciplinary committee, has ruled on what action needs to be taken. However, it seems reasonable to assume that a heavy fine and possibly championship points being docked will follow.

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