SURREY, who were already assured of promotion, duly collected the two points they needed to secure the second division title, but not before Craig Spearman had gate-crashed their party by hitting a century before lunch and Philip Weston had outstayed his welcome by lingering until after tea over a hundred of his own.

Mark Butcher, the Surrey captain, was clearly in a hurry to complete the formalities when he put Gloucestershire in, but his attack was weakened by the absence of Mohammad Akram and Ian Salisbury through injury and it showed as Spearman, the former New Zealand batsman who is now qualified for England, sped to his sixth century of the season off 98 balls with 19 fours.

He was out to the next ball he faced, leg-before to Nayan Doshi, but Hamish Marshall, another New Zealander, kept up the tempo with a run-a-ball 56, including a six and ten fours, and Weston made Surrey pay for dropping him at first slip off Stewart Walters on 29 by going on to make 130 off 240 balls before he was beaten and bowled by Doshi’s flight and spin.

Kadeer Ali had already been bowled by Azhar Mahmood for 32 off 90 balls and when Chris Taylor was bowled driving at Neil Saker and Steve Adshead went the same way trying to sweep Doshi, Surrey were at last able to huddle together in a jig of delight.

It was not quite the same as winning 18 county championships and sharing another when they were presented with the second division trophy in front of the pavilion at close of play, but at least they were back where they surely belong after the ignominy of relegation last year.