Unable to resist Nottinghamshire, who return to the top of Division One following this result, Surrey's final day of the season came a day early. It was a merciful release. The Brown Caps have endured a hugely disappointing campaign, littered with dropped catches, bad weather and costly injuries to Mark Butcher and Chris Jordan. But, by their own high standards, to go through the whole summer without forcing a single victory when, previously, they have always managed to score at least three, underlines just how badly equipped Surrey have been on occasions. Indeed, this was the first time they had lost successive matches by an innings since 1994.

But even in the darkest of times there is invariably cause for optimism. With Matthew Spriegel once again showing maturity with the bat beyond his twenty-one years to make 42 off 91 balls it could well be that in summers to come Surrey's followers will recall that the first shoots of a number of bright careers for the county were seen in 2008.

Spriegel aside, however, the Brown Caps offered up precious little resistance as the curtain came down on their season. After safely negotiating one over before lunch, the Surrey openers were separated in the third over of the innings when Chris Murtagh was caught behind off Charlie Shreck.

Three overs later Mark Ramprakash fended Darren Pattinson low to second slip where Will Jefferson held on at the second attempt. It was the first time in four years that the former Middlesex man had perished for two single-figure scores in the same match.

With Jonathan Batty unable to bat, the chances of the Brown Caps subsiding to their lowest championship total of the season increased further when Scott Newman was yorked by Pattinson in the eighth over. The Australian sent Newman on his way with a few words of advice, but the 28-year-old opener simply shrugged his shoulders as if to say that Pattinson should simply let his bowling do the talking.

Seventeen for three should have become 22-3, but Usman Afzaal was caught at gully off a Pattinson no-ball. But eight overs later Afzaal, driving lazily at Andre Adams, lost his off stump. Later in the same over Spriegel cover drove the former New Zealand international for four and four overs later despatched him straight down the ground for another boundary. In the 23rd over, however, Lee Hodgson gloved Graeme Swann to forward short leg to make it 57-5.

Two overs later Spriegel, on 26, was dropped by Chris Read, but Stuart Meaker and Murtaza Hussain were not so lucky. Meaker, with feet planted, was beaten for pace by Mark Ealham. Three overs before tea Murtaza was caught low down at silly point off Swann.

Before he had got off the mark, Shoaib Akhtar was put down by at third slip by Adams off Ealham, but after the break re-arranged Swann's bowling figures with some lusty blows, including a slog swept six over long-on. By this time, however, Spriegel was LBW attempting to slog sweep Swann and it was all over when Shoaib was caught at long-off off Samit Patel's only delivery of the innings.

Earlier, resuming on 420-5, Nottinghamshire's tail added a further 112 in 25.1 overs to take the visitors up to their third highest total ever against Surrey.

Pattinson fell in the second over of the day when he was LBW to a ball from Pedro Collins that he did not appear to have much idea about. Four overs later Read joined him in the dressing room courtesy of a good catch by Gary Wilson, Surrey's fourth wicketkeeper of the innings, who claimed his opposite number off Collins in front of first slip on the rise.

Swann and Ealham then put on 72 for the eighth wicket. Swann went to his half-century in 64 deliveries thanks to four overthrows, but then despatched Collins through cover point for four. The introduction of Hodgson from the Vauxhall End saw the former England and Northants man driving in-between the bowler and mid-on and Ealham despatching the 22-year-old to the mid-wicket boundary.

Swann, aiming to sweep, was bowled round his legs by Murtaza. Three overs later, Meaker had Ealham top-edging a hook to Shoaib at long leg. Not long after Adams holed out to deep backward square leg to hand Meaker figures of 3-86.

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