Only Scott Newman appeared to have the stomach for the fight as Surrey, without a championship win this season and beset by injuries and illness, collapsed to their lowest first-innings total in ten seasons at the Guildford Festival.

Mark Ramprakash certainly did not have the stomach for it after a bug deprived him of the opportunity of scoring that 100th first-class hundred, which has eluded him since the beginning of May, while Matthew Nicholson (knee injury), Pedro Collins (side strain) and Saqlain Mushtaq (split spinning finger) were also missing.

With Mark Butcher, the captain, still a long way from playing again after a knee operation, it was just as well that Newman, the former England A batsman, who so often flatters to deceive, recorded his first championship century since April last year.

Newman had made 113 off 183 balls, with a six and 15 fours, when he was well caught at second slip by Michael Di Venuto off Liam Plunkett to trigger a collapse that led to Surrey losing their last six wickets for 21, but the value of his innings soared when Durham slumped to 21 for three against Jade Dernbach and Jimmy Ormond.

The ball had started to swing as the clouds built up, but that hardly excused Surrey's batting when the sun was shining earlier in the day. Stewart Walters had scored only eight off 65 balls when he appeared to lose sight of a slower ball from Ben Harmison, ducked and was plumb leg-before.

Chris Murtagh and Jonathan Batty perished to the pace of Steve Harmison either side of lunch and Usman Afzaal never looked convincing before he drove lavishly at Callum Thorpe and was caught behind.

Newman got his best support from Matthew Spriegel, who shared in a fifth-wicket stand of 52 and was probably unlucky to become the first victim of the swinging ball when he was bowled by Ben Harmison for 35.

Harmison was to take three for four in 19 balls to finish with career-best figures of four for 27, but Durham's job was cut short when Dernbach and Osmond went to work.

Dernbach yorked Mark Stoneman and Ormond had Di Venuto caught behind and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who had flown in from the Caribbean only the day before, caught at second slip.

Scoreboard

Surrey: First Innings
S A Newman c Di Venuto b Plunkett 113
S J Walters lbw b B W Harmison 8
C P Murtagh c B W Harmison b S J Harmison 7
*†J N Batty c Plunkett b S J Harmison 6
U Afzaal c Mustard b Thorp 15
M N W Spriegel b B W Harmison 35
C J Jordan c Mustard b Plunkett 3
C P Schofield c Mustard b Plunkett 0
J Ormond c Di Venuto b B W Harmison 0
Murtaza Hussain not out 0
J W Dernbach b B W Harmison 0
Extras (b 4, lb 18, w 5, nb 6) 33

Total (78.1 overs) 220

Fall of wickets: 1-68, 2-93, 3-109, 4-147, 5-199, 6-212, 7-216, 8-216, 9-216.

Bowling: S J Harmison 17-5-31-2; Thorp 15-4-38-1; Plunkett 16-4-49-3; B W Harmison 9.1-4-27-4; Benkenstein 3-1-4-0; Wiseman 18-3-49-0.

Durham: First Innings
M J Di Venuto c Batty b Ormond 10
M D Stoneman b Dernbach 5
W R Smith not out 14
S Chanderpaul c Walters b Ormond 5
*D M Benkenstein not out 10

Total (3 wkts, 15 overs) 44

B W Harmison, †P Mustard, P J Wiseman, L E Plunkett, C D Thorp and S J Harmison to bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-15, 3-21.

Bowling: Dernbach 7-3-13-1; Ormond 6-2-23-2; Hussain 1-0-4-0; Jordan 1-0-4-0.

Umpires: M J Harris and N J Llong.