JUST as this match was petering out to a tame draw, Surrey surprised everyone, most of all their opponents, by setting them 203 to win in 40 overs. It was certainly a generous declaration, but Surrey have lost crucial ground in the table over the past three weeks. That they were prepared to lose in order to give themselves a chance of winning was as rare as it is commendable in contemporary first division championship cricket.

A thrilling final session ensued with the advantage swinging to and fro. On a sporting pitch, Nottinghamshire subsided to 90 for five in the 21st over before Mark Ealham, with 46 off 42 balls, and the capable David Alleyne wrested back the initiative with a sixth-wicket stand of 71 in 12 overs. Victory appeared tantalisingly within the leaders’ grasp, but both batsmen then fell in successive balls, Alistair Brown running out Ealham after Graeme Swann’s questionable call.

When Swann was bowled by a trimmer from Azhar Mahmood in the next over, Surrey had 34 balls to claim the last two wickets. Greg Smith and Ryan Sidebottom managed to survive, salvaging what could yet be four important points, for the draw, at the end of the season.

When play began, Surrey were only three runs ahead with seven wickets intact. A couple of early breakthroughs would have put the visiting side under considerable pressure, but with the ball not swinging too much, they extricated themselves from danger. Rikki Clarke, enjoying plenty of good fortune, led the resistance with his seventh first-class hundred, finishing with an unbeaten 127 off 210 balls.

Martin Bicknell also contributed usefully before breaking down in mid-over with an Achilles complaint.