Michael Vaughan, the England captain, was sent home suffering from back spasms as Yorkshire’s hopes of consolidating their position at the top of the NatWest Pro40 League second division were dashed by an inept batting performance that made their first defeat almost inevitable.

Vaughan, who had been intending to demonstrate his one-day prowess now that he is available for his county, has been told to rest before the crucial championship match against Sussex at Hove a week on Wednesday, while the England selectors will be hoping that the problem is nothing serious.

Yorkshire began their innings apparently expecting to carry on where they left off from their crushing victory over Warwickshire that put them 14 points clear in the championship race. But pride came before a fall as they collapsed to 58 for eight to the dismay of a packed holiday crowd.

Jacques Rudolph, fresh from his 220 against Warwickshire, clipped Matt Nicholson tamely to backward square, Craig White chased a lifter from the same bowler and was brilliantly caught by Jonathan Batty, high to his right, and Gerard Brophy drove Chris Jordan straight to mid-off.

Mohammad Akram tore through the middle order with three wickets for five runs and Jordan picked up two more wickets, including Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan captain. Darren Gough and David Wainwright lifted Yorkshire to a total of 145 with a stand of 72 for the ninth-wicket.

Gough finished unbeaten on 49 off 53 balls with two sixes and five fours but his heroics came at a price. He managed to bowl only two overs for 16 runs before leaving the field with sore shins. James Benning and Scott Newman took advantage and got Surrey off to a flying start with 60 in eight overs.

Benning hit 37 off 25 balls with a six and seven fours, Newman made a brisk 30 and, though Surrey stumbled after that, Mark Butcher and Batty put on 51 for the fifth wicket to see them home with 10.5 overs to spare.