Kumar Sangakkara made the smooth transition from T20 to four day cricket to help Surrey tighten their grip on their Specsavers County Championship match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

The former Sri Lanka left-hander, playing championship cricket for the first time in two months having helped the Tallawahs win the Caribbean Premier League, stroked a stylish 88 against his former county which tipped the balance firmly in Surrey's favour.

Sangakkara narrowly missed out on the 56th first-class century of his career but his efforts, and a breezy 62 from Sam Curran, sustained Surrey against a persistent attack and took them to 390 all out, which left Warwickshire needing 396 for an unlikely win.

Surrey enjoyed the best batting conditions of the match with a day of unbroken sunshine which were enjoyed by nightwatchman Stuart Meaker who extended his shift until after lunch for a defiant 41, his highest score in two years.

Meaker outlasted Rory Burns, who went LBW working Oliver Hannon-Dalby off his legs, but his vigil of just short of three hours ended when he was caught behind pushing forward to Jeetan Patel.

Sangakkara, who shared a third wicket stand of 60 with Meaker, played positively and reached his 50 from 71 balls then enjoyed a slice of luck on 76 when wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose was unable to hold a chance off Patel.

Ambrose also missed a more difficult chance when Zafar Ansari edged Chris Wright but he soon made amends which broke a fourth wicket partnership of 61 with Sangakkara.

Jason Roy helped Sangakkara to up the tempo by contributing 36 to a fifth wicket stand of 54 but the pair departed in successive overs from Keith Barker after tea. Roy edged to Rikki Clarke at slip and Sangakkara departed two balls later when he nibbled to Ambrose having struck 12 fours from 126 balls.

Warwickshire needed to wrap up Surrey's second innings quickly, instead the left-handed pair of Steve Davies and Sam Curran clobbered 102 in 17 overs in an aggressive seventh wicket partnership.

Davies passed 1,000 first-class runs for the season on his way to a chirpy 42 and Curran improvised audaciously, pulling Hannon-Dalby one-handed for one of his three sixes.

The return of Chris Wright broke the stand as Davies picked out deep midwicket and Tom Curran went next ball, feathering a catch to Ambrose.

Sam Curran soon followed when he gave Ambrose his fifth catch of the innings and Wright his fourth wicket and Mark Footitt holed out to long on. Warwickshire faced an uncomfortable two overs at the end of a testing day and lost Ian Westwood, LBW to the fourth ball from Tom Curran, for a duck.

Warwickshire captain Ian Bell admitted that his side face a tough last day which could define the rest of their season.

"We have still got a tough day tomorrow, we have got to get out there and bat the day. In some ways it's a good challenge for this group of players to get through," Bell said. "But it's been a frustrating three days and couple of weeks actually so we have got to get out there and make sure we fight as much as we can for Warwickshire.

"It's a big day for us tomorrow. This has been a big for us. Win this game we are in the mix, lose this game then we have got to fight for the rest of the season to make sure we are still in Division One.

"It's not panic stations but I want the guys to be fighting for Warwickshire. Tomorrow is a day when we go out and bat the day. I hope we have that mind set. It's not about waiting for the next game. I want to make sure that tomorrow to everyone in the dressing room is the most important day we have had this season."

Surrey paceman Stuart Meaker said that he expected Warwickshire, who won by ten wickets when the sides met at Guildford last month, to mount stiff resistance.

"We definitely owe them one. They out-performed us down at Guildford and we were caught napping a little bit," Meaker said. "We didn't post enough runs and a great partnership between Bell and Trott saw them gain a lead and they pushed on from there.

"This time the shoe seems to be on the other front. We have posted a good first innings total and backed it up with a better second innings total.

"They are a good side, so they are not going to just fold. It's going to be hard work, we can't go chasing the game. But we are in a real good position going into tomorrow."

TEA REPORT

Kumar Sangakkara made the smooth transition from T20 to four day cricket with a stylish half century which put Surrey in command of their Specsavers County Championship match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

The former Sri Lanka left-hander returned from helping the Tallawahs win the Caribbean Premier League and reached tea unbeaten on 85 in his first first-class match in two months.

Sangakkara, who played for Warwickshire in 2007, shared a third wicket stand of 60 with nightwatchman Stuart Meaker to take Surrey to 250 for four, a lead of 255.

Meaker extended his shift beyond lunch and batted almost three hours for his 41, his highest score in two years, before he was caught behind pushing forward to off-spinner Jeetan Patel.

Sangakkara pressed on to a 71-ball 50 then survived a chance on 76 when wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose was unable to hold a catch off Patel.

LUNCH REPORT

Nightwatchman Stuart Meaker put in a long shift of overtime to help put Surrey into a handy position on the third day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Meaker, sent in an over from the close on Sunday evening, batted throughout the first session for an unbeaten 29, his highest score in two years, as Surrey reached lunch on 112 for two, a lead of 117.

The pace bowler kept opener Rory Burns company in a second wicket stand of 59 which frustrated Warwickshire for 90 minutes on a hot morning.

Burns was the main aggressor but he fell one short of his second half century of the match when he went LBW trying to work Oliver Hannon-Dalby off his legs.

Meaker remained defiant but needed luck to make it through to lunch. A miscued pull off Chris Wright landed just short of Laurie Evans at fine leg and Meaker then survived a difficult stumping chance to Tim Ambrose when he went down the pitch to one that turned sharply off Jeetan Patel.

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