AND then there were two. By dismissing Surrey for 225, Warwickshire rid themselves of their last mathematical threat of relegation and left Surrey and Middlesex, who meet in the final round of matches in eight days’ time, with a dogfight to avoid the drop. That assumes that Surrey can bat some 70 more overs to escape defeat today, after Nick Knight’s second century in three innings in the championship and 60 from Alex Loudon removed any hope of a comeback.

If there were signs of hope for a Surrey attack that badly needs to recover its bite, they came through Jade Dernbach, who took his first two championship wickets, and through a post-tea revival that brought four quick wickets for Saqlain Mushtaq and Azhar Mahmood. Even then, Michael Powell farmed the strike as the last wicket added 32. With a lead of 113, Warwickshire removed Scott Newman, flailing at a wide one from Dougie Brown, before the close.

Against poor bowling, 135 had come at five an over in the morning, only Dernbach impressing before he, too, lost control. In his first six overs, he trapped Ian Westwood for 45 and bowled Jonathan Trott with an outswinger. Jim Troughton was dismissed after lunch, but Knight and Loudon added 100 before Knight edged behind. Loudon went dragging on after only his second fifty in 15 innings this season.

SURREY: First Innings
S A Newman c Trott b Ntini 12
*M A Butcher c Trott b Brown 30
M R Ramprakash c Powell b Carter 16
R Clarke c Brown b Anyon 63
J N Batty c and b Anyon 3
A D Brown lbw b Anyon 1
Azhar Mahmood c Ntini b Carter 24
T J Murtagh c Knight b Brown 30
Saqlain Mushtaq c Frost b Anyon 31
M Akram c Westwood b Brown 12
J W Dernbach not out 0
Extras (lb 3) 3
Total (60 overs) 225

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-22, 2-50, 3-76, 4-119, 5-121, 6-128, 7-153, 8-197, 9-225.

BOWLING: Ntini 13-0-46-1; Brown 22-6-58-3; Carter 10-4-54-2; Anyon 15-1-64-4.

Second Innings
S A Newman c Frost b Brown 15
*M A Butcher not out 24
Saqlain Mushtaq not out 4
Extras (lb 2) 2
Total (1 wkt, 12 overs) 45

FALL OF WICKET: 1-39.

BOWLING: Ntini 4-0-17-0; Brown 6-2-19-1; Loudon 2-0-7-0.

WARWICKSHIRE: First Innings
*N V Knight c Batty b Murtagh 117
I J Westwood b Dernbach 45
I J L Trott b Dernbach 9
J O Troughton lbw b Azhar Mahmood 9
A G R Loudon b Saqlain Mushtaq 60
M J Powell c Clarke b Saqlain 60
T Frost c Newman b Saqlain 13
D R Brown c Batty b Saqlain 0
N M Carter c Brown b Azhar Mahmood 6
M Ntini c Batty b Azhar Mahmood 0
J E Anyon not out 1
Extras (lb 10, nb 8) 18
Total (86.5 overs) 338

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-95, 2-117, 3-147, 4-247, 5-259, 6-291, 7-291, 8-306, 9-306.

BOWLING: Akram 11-2-42-0; Azhar Mahmood 18-4-70-3; Dernbach 12-1-66-2; Murtagh 12-1-38-1; Saqlain 28.5-4-80-4; Clarke 5-0-32-0.

Bonus points: Warwickshire 6 Surrey 4
Umpires: J W Holder and D R Shepherd.