IT WAS hard to believe that Mo Sheikh had never taken five wickets in an innings in 39 first-class matches stretching back over nine seasons as Derbyshire, the poor relations of county cricket, piled yet more indignity on Surrey, county champions 18 times, by making them follow on in their first match in the second division.

Sheikh, 32 and with more hair under his chin than he has on his head, produced an exemplary spell of fast-medium bowling yesterday to take four for 25 in 10.5 overs and send Surrey reeling from their overnight 256 for four to 308 all out in reply to Derbyshire’s imposing first-innings total of 492.

The ball was swinging as the temperature began to climb and Sheikh, who joined Derbyshire from Warwickshire two years ago, bowled the perfect line and length to bring an abrupt end to a threatening fifth-wicket partnership of 64 between Rikki Clarke and Azhar Mahmood.

He bowled Azhar off an inside edge for 37 and then had Clarke, who had hit a six and nine fours in his 59, caught in the gully as he stretched to drive. Alistair Brown, whose arrival at the crease had been delayed by a shoulder strain, was his next victim, superbly caught at second slip by Michael Di Venuto, and he finished off the innings by bowling Mohammad Akram.

Sheikh finished with five for 65, but he did not find wickets so easy to come by when Surrey went in again 184 runs behind.

Their first taste of second division cricket had been a rude awakening and there was a new resolve about the way Scott Newman and Jonathan Batty launched their second innings with a partnership of 152.

Newman looked much more like the opening batsman who was selected for an England A tour three years ago as he reached 90 off 145 balls with a six and 16 fours, but then he was surprised by a quicker ball from Ant Botha, the left-arm spinner, that rolled back on to his stumps.

Steffan Jones struck an even bigger blow when Mark Ramprakash, the former England middle-order batsman, played on cutting at a ball that was too close to him and when Batty, having made 96 off 210 balls with two sixes and 12 fours, also played on trying to pull Ian Hunter, Derbyshire were scenting only their second victory in 39 visits to the Oval.