HEARTBREAK at twenty to seven. With the third ball of the last over of the day, Jonathan Batty, who had shown a captain’s will to rescue a sinking ship, was rapped on the pads by Dewald Pretorius and Vanburn Holder, the umpire, slowly raised his finger. Batty’s 145, his third championship century of the season, had restored Surrey’s pride but not saved the game. Warwickshire had looked out of ideas for periods and their lack of a spin option was exposed, but they never give up.

The wise man recognises his limitations, then finds a way to defy them. Warwickshire have an average bowling attack — and they know it. “We have got a modest attack,” John Inverarity, the coach, said. “But they are doing very well.”

Surrey were helped by centuries from Alistair Brown and Batty. After being asked to follow on, they were 24 for three in the eleventh over and looked dead and buried at 206 runs behind.

They did well to take the game into a fourth day. They may even harbour thoughts of getting more than 200 ahead today and putting Warwickshire under pressure, but that seems unlikely on this flat pitch.

Nayan Doshi made a championship best of 22 in the first innings and survived 41 balls, the second-longest Surrey stint behind Mark Ramprakash, who was unbeaten on 145. Naqaash Tahir finished things off for Warwickshire — four times he took a wicket in the first over of a spell.

Following on, Rikki Clarke tried to leave one that touched his gloves and removed his leg stump. Ramprakash’s wicket soon followed, when he was trapped leg-before to Pretorius. Scott Newman drove airily for the second time in the match and was well caught at first slip.

Brown and Batty then dug in and, after a shaky start, were rattling along. But after Brown reached his second championship hundred of the season, off 129 balls, with a four off his legs, he was caught the next ball. He and Batty put on 200 in 47 overs and Azhar Mahmood was caught behind off Naqaash. Adam Hollioake went cheaply and Tim Murtagh put on 94 with Batty before the last over.