There was to be no making of history at Edgbaston yesterday. Saqlain Mushtaq may have let a catch off Dougie Brown slip through his fingers in the second over of the day, but with the ball he was back to his devastating best. As expected, the game went the way of the defending champions who, according to their skipper Adam Hollioake, “have not been fired up yet this season.”

Since this morning’s Division One table shows Surrey to be 26 points ahead of the pack, it is an ominous warning to the other eight teams, five of whom, one senses, will be glad to avoid relegation from the positions they currently occupy. Middlesex are heading for mid-table obscurity, while only Lancashire and Sussex, who have played less games, can even begin to entertain thoughts of overhauling the Oval outfit.

The fourth day of a championship match often seems to bring out the best in Saqlain. Having only taken one wicket in 27 overs before yesterday, the Pakistani off-spinner claimed a further four for 61 in 18.1 to wrap things up with the seventh delivery after lunch. Ian Salisbury, whose figures of one for 70 do him a disservice, played his part too and had his spinning partner held that early chance off Brown, after making up a lot of ground at mid-on, the honours would have been spread more equitably.

Seven overs later Tony Frost, attempting to drive Saqlain Mushtaq, played over the ball and lost his off stump. In the Pakistani’s next over Graham Wagg on drove the first boundary of the day before playing an indeterminate shot and falling to an easy catch at slip by Alistair Brown, who was on the field in place of Azhar Mahmood.

A passive passage of play was ended when Dougie Brown glanced Saqlain to fine leg. Neil Smith then brought up the 350 by slog-sweeping the Pakistani for four only to fall to a catch at mid-on off the very next delivery.

With just two wickets remaining, Brown and Carter decided to inject some entertainment into proceedings for the home fans. Neil Carter immediately cut Salisbury for four. Dougie Brown then launched successive boundaries over the infield at mid-wicket before surviving a stumping chance off Mushtaq. Reprieved, the 33-year-old all-rounder pulled a leg-break from Ian Salisbury on his way to a 116-ball half-century – his second of the match.

Carter was leg before, attempting fetch Salisbury, and with the help of Waqar Younis, who is just as agricultural in defence, Warwickshire managed somehow to survive until lunch. Dougie Brown, who went to a bat-pad catch at silly mid-off, was the last man out to leave Waqar unbeaten on thirty.

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