SURREY ON COURSE FOR FIFTH WIN by Marcus Hook
Warwickshire 245 & 304-5 v Surrey 355 & 450-5d.

Despite the efforts of Michael Powell, who made a composed 91, and Wagh, Bell and Trott, all of whom contributed eye-catching half-centuries, Surrey ended day three at Edgbaston on course for their fifth championship win on the season.

The match has already seen the posting of the highest aggregate between these two sides. So, unlikely as it may seem, with just five wickets left, one might argue that Warwickshire have nothing to lose by attempting to make the highest score ever in the fourth innings to win a championship match. They need a further 257, but with the ball keeping low at times, your money would have to be on the defending champions completing the job around lunchtime today.

The day’s opening over saw Alec Stewart pass 15,000 first-class runs for Surrey when he slapped a wide ball from Dougie Brown through extra cover. Unfortunately, eight overs later the 40-year-old was playing away from his body when he got an inside edge on to leg stump.

Adam Hollioake, dropped on 10 at mid-on, then showed his aggressive intent by straight driving Graham Wagg for six to post the 350 before depositing the left-armer’s next ball over mid-wicket and on to the roof of the Eric Hollies Stand.

In the chase for quick runs the Surrey captain fell lbw to Wagg, trying to work the ball to leg, but there was no let up in the tempo as Mark Ramprakash and Azhar Mahmood added an unbeaten 86 in nine overs for the visitors’ sixth wicket.

Ramprakash, who reached his 150 in 206 deliveries, pulled Brown with the class of someone who has passed the landmark eighteen times in his career – at one point he dissected the men pushed back at long leg and deep square, who were placed no more than thirty yards apart.

Azhar then hit Graham Wagg out of the attack by fetching him over mid-on for six. Wagg’s replacement at the Pavilion End, Waqar Younis, was dealt with in similar fashion, except the former Surrey man was launched squarer as Azhar raced to his third half-century of the season, in just 25 balls.

Not long afterwards, having plundered 168 from 25 overs, the visitors declared, setting the home side the unlikely target of 561.

Nick Knight departed in the second over after lunch, but at tea Warwickshire were 170 for two. Theoretically, since they only needed to make a hundred runs per session, it was all about them preserving wickets.

Powell, gritty and determined, almost played a captain’s innings. Mark Wagh in his stylish yet understated way made an attractive 51 before reaching for Hollioake’s slower ball. Ian Bell, patiently waiting for anything short and wide of off-stump or over-pitched on leg, made his highest score against Surrey (before yesterday, the 21-year-old had only managed 103 against them in seven championship innings).

Most notable, though, was Jonathan Trott, who looked as good player against spin as one is likely to find on the county circuit right now – shame he’s not qualified to play for England. After driving Saqlain Mushtaq either through or over mid-on, Trott swept the off-spinner for four to post both his fifty, off 67 balls, and his and Bell’s hundred-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Their departure within two overs of each other, half an hour before the close, tipped the scales firmly in favour of the Oval outfit. Jonathan Trott perished when he played back and merely offered a half-hearted shot to Hollioake, while Ian Bell was infuriatingly caught at mid-wicket when his on-drive failed to clear the infield.

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