To have reached the second week of May and still be without a win is not a situation that Surrey have been accustomed to in recent years. Despite ringing the changes yesterday, following their shock exit from the C&G Trophy at Ireland’s behest, both Steve Rixon and Jonathan Batty must be beginning to wonder whether they have made the right career move. Having taken the tough decision to omit Alistair Brown, amongst others, they saw their slide slump to seven for four in response to Warwickshire’s competitive total of 240 all out. With Dewald Pretorius claiming four for 36, including a spell of three wickets in six deliveries, and Neil Carter three for 37, the visitors battled back bravely but were eventually dismissed 45 runs short of their objective.

Under a grey sky that lingered all day the Lions batted in better light than their hosts for the most part, but Nick Knight’s decision to bowl last was more than vindicated when the ball started to move around as if the game was a late season day-nighter. Surrey were docked six penalty runs for a tardy over-rate, brought about by the concession of twelve wides. But that proved to be an irrelevance when the Bears’ attack, unable at times to control the white ball, proceeded to send down 23 wides of their own before the visitors finally succumbed in exactly 41 overs – nine minutes before the cut off of 7.10pm.

There had been signs in the Warwickshire innings that runs would be hard to come by. Jonathan Trott, who top scored with 49, never really found the middle of his bat. However, the home side were gifted quick runs by Carter, who struck four boundaries in the fifth over of the day, and Trevor Penney who was the only batsman to come to terms with Saqlain until, that is, he dollied a catch off of his bowling to short mid-wicket.

A different Brown, the Bears’ Dougie Brown, ensured that the total would be at least thirty runs over par when he got stuck in to Hollioake, whom he launched over the leg-side boundary for six. In his second over back Mahmood claimed three wickets in four balls to give him overall figures of five for 24, but with runs leaking at the other end it was Warwickshire who went into the break the happier of the two sides.

Not the first time this season Surrey’s innings began with both of the openers being caught at third man. Neither Scott Newman or Mark Butcher could believe their misfortune at being held by Trott, ten yards in from the boundary rope, off the bowling of Pretorius. Graham Thorpe immediately lost his leg stump when the first ball he received cannoned into it off what appeared to be an immaculate backward defensive.

Rikki Clarke became the fourth duck in a row (or should that be column?) when he played all round a straightening delivery from Carter. Seven for four became 34 for five when the one stopped on Azhar Mahmood, who was easily caught at gully. With the ball continuing to misbehave on the increasingly sporty wicket Mark Ramprakash pulled over the top of a delivery aimed at off stump, which was sent cartwheeling, and Adam Hollioake popped up an easy catch to mid-wicket.

For a top seven, of which six are current or former internationals, to be made such short work of on a pitch that will be in use again later this week does not suggest that the championship fixture will last more than three days.

Dropped on 31, Jonathan Batty showed all his fighting qualities in making the only half-century in the match. The Lions skipper added fifty in ten overs in partnership with Saqlain Mushtaq – who straight drove Brown for six before falling to the same bowler seven overs later – and a further 44 with Tim Murtagh, who enjoyed an excellent game in the absence of the injured Martin Bicknell.

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