SURREY’S determination to beat the drop into the second division is being embodied by Ian Salisbury’s willingness to play in this crucial match despite a chronic knee problem that requires surgery. As it turned out, the Surrey spin attack was led most effectively by Nayan Doshi, the 25-year-old slow left-arm bowler, making just his fourth championship appearance.

The son of Dillip Doshi, the former India Test bowler, he has an easy, economical action and clearly relished the hard work required of him here. Doshi’s reward, boosted by two wickets in three balls late in the Northamptonshire innings, was figures of four for 87, while the lengthy use of James Ormond’s off breaks also spared Salisbury a heavier workload. There will be many more overs to be bowled this weekend, anyway, as Surrey aim to press home their advantage.

It is the long-term absence through injury of Saqlain Mushtaq that is delaying Salisbury’s operation. Surrey need all the ammunition that they can muster at present, and only four English bowlers still plying their trade have taken more than the former England leg spinner’s 773 first-class wickets, the latest of which yesterday was Usman Afzaal, Northamptonshire’s leading run-scorer in the championship this season with 801. Ormond and Azhar Mahmood also played their part during a long, hot day in the field after Surrey’s initial failure to build significantly on a strong overnight position at 382 for six.

Jason Brown’s first five-wicket haul of the season and the needless run-out of Mahmood, meant that Northamptonshire began their reply with hopes of reaching parity. Yet, despite worthy half-centuries from Tim Roberts and Martin Love, the solidity of David Sales and a brief mid-afternoon flurry from Graeme Swann, it never looked likely.

Brown, the last man, hung on grittily to make possible both Sales’ half-century and a third batting point for the home team, but the slow, dry and dusting surface should increasingly favour the ball.