JIMMY ORMOND is an old-fashioned cricketer. He enjoys a cigarette and a pint and sometimes looks as if he is wearing one jumper more than he is. But when he is on song, there is not a finer seamer in the land — overseas or English.

On a pitch that was helpful, but not the minefield that 20 wickets in the day would suggest, Ormond claimed career-best figures of seven for 63, swinging the match Surrey’s way after they had collapsed in the morning. Normally it was the sort of performance that might have nudged the England selectors, but Duncan Fletcher, the coach, has not always liked the cut of Ormond’s jib.

Ormond’s international career — he played two Tests in 2001 — has been in hibernation since he arrived for a Test series in New Zealand in March 2002 somewhat out of shape. Fletcher was publicly critical and privately furious.

England should look again at the 27-year-old. The idea that he is unfit is nonsense. Only three men in England bowled more than the 609.2 overs he sent down in first-class cricket last season — all spinners. If conditions are right, Ormond can swing it, as he did yesterday when he repeatedly found the edge, but his natural style is as a back-of-a-length seamer. He was both strike and stock bowler again yesterday with Tim Murtagh injured and out for some time with a side problem and Mohammad Akram needing stitches above his left eye after a dive in the field.

Surrey looked as if they would have a healthy first- innings lead until Rikki Clarke dragged on a wide half-volley from Darren Thomas and the visiting team collapsed from 243 for six to 248 all out. But Ormond ripped out Glamorgan’s top order as they fell to 15 for two before lunch and 87 for seven by the nineteenth over. Once again Mark Wallace looked as if he was batting on a different pitch with an accomplished 55. He was caught behind cutting shortly before tea and Ormond needed only four balls after the break to take the last two wickets.

Requiring 176 to win, Surrey began the chase like a train, Scott Newman hitting 48 off 41 balls. Graham Thorpe is keeping his best form for the Ashes and followed a scratchy five in the first innings with the same score before he played down the wrong line to Robert Croft. Mark Ramprakash, who in the morning made his 75th first-class hundred, was a rock. Barring bad weather, Glamorgan look certain of a second defeat.