Every cloud has a silver lining. Just when it looked as if the Brown Caps were about to be skittled out for less than two hundred, after having won the toss, 22-year-old Lee Hodgson, in the Surrey side for his bowling, top scored on his first-class debut. What will be of concern to the Oval outfit, however, is that if Hodgson can make 63 off 121 balls, then how big a total will Nottinghamshire amass against the Brown Caps' second-string attack once the visitors have polished off the Surrey tail?

At least Mark Ramprakash did not make the mistake of inserting his opponents, as he had done against Hampshire, but other than Scott Newman, his front-line batsmen did their best to cast doubt on his decision to bat first.

Chris Murtagh prodded the fourth ball of the day, bowled by Darren Pattinson, to give Graeme Swann a low catch at first slip.

Newman straight drove and then pulled Charlie Shreck for fours and despatched Pattinson through extra cover for another boundary, but the home side found themselves 29-2 when Shreck accounted for Ramprakash, caught behind for just four.

Newman went past a thousand first-class runs for the season and brought up a 49-ball half-century that included eleven boundaries, only to then receive a delivery from Andre Adams that left him a touch off the wicket.

At lunch, Surrey were 100-3. The first runs after the break came when Jonathan Batty edged Shreck for four, but in the next over, the 35th, Batty was caught on the crease by Adams, whose spell either side of the interval read 11-6-15-2.

Usman Afzaal cut Shreck to the cover boundary and Matthew Spriegel drove Adams through extra cover for four, but, thereafter, it was slow going. Their 21-run partnership for the fifth wicket was spread over thirteen dour overs.

In the 44th over, Spriegel unfurled another extra cover drive for four, this time off Swann, but four overs later the 21-year-old was caught at slip, attempting to repeat the stroke, to leave the Brown Caps 126-5 and the tail exposed.

Hodgson recorded his first runs in first-class cricket with a four that flew in-between wicketkeeper and first slip off Pattinson. Six overs later the Middlesbrough-born seamer pulled Shreck to the square leg boundary. That prompted Afzaal to get going, at long last, with two successive off-side fours off Samit Patel.

At tea, Surrey were 159-5, but that soon became 173-6 when Afzaal, having just driven Adams through cover, flung the bat at a lifting delivery from the former Kiwi Test star. Swann, who took the ball in front of his face at first slip, did the honours.

The next over, the 71st, saw Hodgson give the first real indication that he has a future in the game as a batsman, if not as a bowler, when he rocked back and cut Swann for four.

Stuart Meaker also showed that the pitch did not possess as many demons as Surrey's upper order would have people believe. After getting off the mark with a single off his hip, the 19-year-old slapped Swann to the cover rope then edged the former England and Northants spinner all along the ground to third man.

Patel replaced Swann at the Pavilion End and immediately trapped Meaker leg before with one that hurried on. But after the visitors took the new ball Hodgson cover drove Shreck for four and, two overs later, drove Nottinghamshire's leading wicket taker in this season's championship straight up the ground for his tenth boundary.

After bringing up a 117-ball fifty with a single to cover, Hodgson celebrated the landmark by despatching his next delivery, from Pattinson, through cover for four. However, Pattinson gave way to Ealham, who had Hodgson caught at second slip.

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