Having taken a nasty blow just above the left eye in last winter’s Ashes series, Surrey’s Alex Tudor did his own version of catching the eye yesterday, on a final day that proved somewhat more eventful than even the diehards who turned up to watch probably thought it was going to be. But Tudor and the other Surrey bowlers, of which there were many, could not find an answer for Warwickshire’s Nick Knight who made an unbeaten 103 as the game ended with honours even.

The morning session belonged to the 25-year-old seamer, who started by making his first half-century of the summer; equalling last season’s tally in only his third visit to the crease this term.

Saqlain Mushtaq, who resumed alongside Tudor in the absence of Martin Bicknell (taken ill the night before), played everything with a dead bat until Dougie Brown managed to sneak one through the Pakistani’s defences in the sixth over of the day.

Four overs later Alex Tudor, who struck five high quality boundaries in the opening quarter of an hour, reached his fifty in 67 deliveries by pushing Brown backward of square on the off side and scampering for two. Unfortunately he fell with his side’s total tantalisingly close to a fifth batting point, but without Bicknell the champions had to cede to the visitors.

Nick Knight also began brightly, cutting, driving and pulling Tudor to the boundary as Warwickshire’s second innings total quickly moved to 27 without loss.

In his next over Tudor claimed the wicket of the part-time opener Tony Frost, who got a bottom edge on to his stumps to give the fast bowler his 200th first-class scalp in Surrey colours.

While it lasted Mark Wagh’s innings of 19 in 24 deliveries, underlined the impression he made on the first two days, when he compiled a cultured 136. After straight driving his second ball straight back past the bowler, Wagh repeated the stroke off consecutive deliveries moments before edging him hard and high to Azhar Mahmood at second slip.

The last ball of Saqlain’s fourth over, the seventh after lunch, saw Ian Bell playing back and shouldering arms to a ball directed on off stump. Alex Tudor then recaptured top billing in the most spectacular fashion, causing Jim Troughton’s off stump to perform cartwheels. It was an emphatic way to dispose of an emphatic batsman who, prior to the match, had passed fifty in four out of his previous seven championship innings.

Tudor really had his tail up, but other than his two seven-over stints either side of lunch he was not called upon again either to state his case for an England recall or to set-up an extraordinary finish.

It soon appeared as though the only man likely to do the latter was Saqlain Mushtaq. The unusual sight of two bat-pad catches to silly point in the space of three balls saw the back of Dominic Ostler and then Dougie Brown. Suddenly with forty-one overs remaining and Warwickshire 140 runs ahead there was an outside chance that the modestly sized crowd would be rewarded after all.

The applause for Saqlain’s successful over was just dying down when Knight, having occupied the crease for 112 balls, leg glanced Azhar Mahmood for his seventh boundary to reach a well-earned half-century.

But when Jimmy Ormond conceded two boundaries in each of his first three overs after tea, it became clear that the final session would end up being fairly meaningless.

Nick Knight and Ashley Giles added 52 in twenty overs – eight of which were bowled by Ramprakash and Brown to put the home side’s over-rate back into the black – before the Warwickshire skipper played back to Alistair Brown and got a thin edge to Stewart behind the stumps. It was only the second first-class wicket of Brown’s eleven-year career.

Ward and then Stewart were also given a chance to turn their arms over.

Within sight of his 30th hundred it appeared as though Knight was embarrassed at the prospect of reaching the landmark. Having been on 57 when the part-time bowlers were introduced, the former England left-hander looked in the direction of the dressing room to see if Giles might declare. But the innings continued and Alec Stewart served up a long hop which Nick Knight danced down the wicket to and pulled for six to reach his hundred off 222 balls.

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