Mark Robinson, Warwickshire’s first-team coach, compared Surrey to Manchester City as he chewed over a nine-wicket defeat at The Oval.

“We’ve done a lot right, but we haven’t been good enough. It’s aspirational for us as a big club like Warwickshire to get up level with them – at the moment they’re Man City and we’re not, you need a few things to go your way to give yourselves the best chance.

“We don’t like being bowled out in 60 overs, and we shouldn’t be, but there’s a lot of variation in the wicket and Surrey have an international attack.” Surrey took under 40 minutes to knock off the required runs, and go 21 points clear at the top of the Division One tablewith their third successive victory.

Streamers and klaxons for Gloucestershire as they won their first Championship game since September 2022, defeating Northamptonshire by 256 runs at Wantage Road. Karun Nair and George Bartlett held things together for the hosts, but only until the second new ball. Marchant de Lange and Ajeet Singh Dale grabbed three wickets each as Northants lost their last five wickets for 35 runs.

Twenty-year-old Matty Hurst hit a maiden first-class hundred, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Lancashire falling to a nine-wicket defeat at Trent Bridge. It was Nottinghamshire’s first win under captain Haseeb Hameed who, after his mammoth 247 in the first innings, then hit the winning run, on the field for every minute of the game. Lancashire, firmly attached to the bottom of the Division One table, stare at a third defeat.

At Canterbury, Worcestershire and Kent shook hands on a draw, with Josh Baker remembered on Worcestershire’s shirt and in their hearts. Jack Leaning was stranded on 179 in the first innings and there was time for Zak Crawley to be out cheaply in the second – just 67 runs in six innings this summer. Elsewhere, Hampshire and Durham drew at rain-hit Southampton.

Thank you all for your company this week. We’ll be back on Friday – with all 18 teams back in the mix and Surrey sitting pretty. Till then, may May sparkle kindly.

Over at Canterbury, DBD has been and gone, but Finch and Evison have lasted ten overs. I’m going to start writing up for the paper but will keep an eye on events.

I’ve only glanced at this, but looks worth a read when you have a spare half hour.

Time to make a cup of tea, with just the game at Canterbury left.

Luke Wells’s lanky loopers easing Notts to their target, just 9 needed.

Still raining at Southampton. And they’ve taken tea at Canterbury, where things are drifting to a draw.

Notts only need 35, Has looking as if he’ll carry his bat all game. And at The County Ground, it’s all over bar the packing up. Northants toppling from 266-4 to 300-9. A group effort by the Glos bowlers.

Three Lancs slips a waiting. Bailey with the new ball. And HH is off the mark with a single, which reminds me of a fabulous stat that I heard Scott Read mention, and which I wish I’d known when I was writing up yesterday – HH reached his 200 with his 101st single of the innings.

At Canterbury, Joe Denly has gone. Mr reliable, DBD, nine not out. Worcs have a session and a half to get seven more wickets.

And another six makes the hundred! Ten fours, four sixes, and that’s his maiden first-class century. He takes off his helmet and waves his bat in the direction of the dressing room. Gets a pat from Mahmood, who towers over him. Lancs 248-9, lead of 76.

Matty Hurst! From 92 to 98 with a six. I’m not sure he has much faith in trusty no. 11 Saqib Mahmood.

And the slow-rising finger of the umpire sends Will Williams on his way, lbw. Lancs 224-9.

Ken't’s quest for survival not too hot – both Crawley and Compton caught behind now, one off Holder, one off Gibbon.

Crawley’s CC run this summer a return to his creaky period: 5, 4, 41, 1, 6, 10.

Matty Hurst (79 not out) has passed his highest first-class score. Amongst the rubble, there are good things for Lancs to take from this game.

This was Dale Benkenstein last night: “we knew when we came out this evening that getting through that new ball was going to be key and we just couldn’t get through it. There was some really good fast bowling. They had a lot more on the ball than we did and because of that extra pace they just got a bit more out of it than we could.

“It was frustrating to watch. Those first five or six overs today we went past the pat a few times so to go in tonight and nick every ball was difficult. But we’ve just got to stay together and the last two wickets tonight gives us a bit of hope.

“If we can get the ball a bit soft and put some runs on in the morning we give ourselves a chance, but obviously as things stand we’ve got our backs against the wall.”

And Pennington makes it eight! Bailey lbw for 10. Lancs 190-8.

And off Hartley must trot, after a really good fifty, full of youthful attacking intent. Caught at second slip. Lancs 178-7, lead by six.

And in Division Two, Gloucestershire have got rid of nightwatchman Scrimshaw and the big one – Procter – caught and bowled Tom Price for 60. Northants 183-4, trail by 375 – or, more pertinently, have two and a bit more sessions to survive.

Elsewhere, with an hour gone, Jack Leaning is still there at Canterbury, on 173,, but he’s lost Gilchrist for a 56-ball 12. Kent 400-9, trail by 218..

Durham added 22 this morning, finally out for 432, both wickets to Organ – who finished with 4-101. An unbeaten 52 for Ben Raine. Hampshire are now batting but are having starting issues, have lost both openers with nine on the board. Both wickets to Potts. The Hampshire lead: 80.

Now Surrey have duly pocketed their points, eyes drift north west, where Hurst (28 )and Hartley (42) have pulled off their shoes and are settling on the sofa. Their partnership of 78 has more than covered the 61 put together by the top six batters. Lancs only trail by 32, the weather is set fine and dandy.

Surrey admirably impregnable. The rest’s best hope that they lose Smith and Pope and Atkinson and Foakes to England. Surrey’s next four CC games, taking them to the start of July, are Worcestershire, Hampshire, Worcestershire again and Essex.

Bethell, a fan of the Dom Bess bleach bottle, reels in. Warwicks whizzing through their overs this morning to ensure a positive over rate. Sibley drives four. Ten needed.

Surrey in a hurry at The Oval, including a Rory Burns six, but Jacob Bethell gets his revenge as Burns holes out. 24 needed.

“Top o’ the mornin’ to you Tanya!” Hello Tim Maitland!

”I’m trying to decide whether it’s my imagination or if there really has been a bit of a dearth of Bazballesque biff in this round of matches and, if so, why?
”Apart from Jamie Smith’s match-winning 155 (18 fours, 3 sixes at a strike rate of 86.59) for Surrey there seems to have been a notable lack of run-a-ball moving the game forward.

”I’m not counting, but in no way belittling Worcestershire’s unbeaten 8th wicket stand (Jason Holder’s 123 runs 7 fours 6 sixes at 111.82 and Matthew Waite’s 100 runs at 79.37) as they came in at 393 for 7, which is clearly a case of 225 runs of late-inning how’s your father.

”Even Durham have been relatively subdued, by modern standards.

”It probably doesn’t mean much, but it does strike me as unusual - considering the high totals being racked up and the corresponding high probability of draws - that so few people have been embracing the McCullum mantra, with test selection coming up.

”BTW, as I believe the kids say, is Smith any kind of chance for a test call-up this summer?”

I’ve asked Ali who says, “He’s definitely one they’re very keen on, very Bazball; question is where he’d slot in, with Brook at 5, Stokes 6 … the keeper spot is one area, but he doesn’t do it for Surrey in the Championship. Jonny B in the mix too.”

As for the lack of Bazball, I wonder if it is to do with the pitches. Groundstaff haven’t been able to get the bounce they are looking for because of the weather. So less easy to play attacking shots?

A super stat from Dave Bracegirdle: Notts have taken 11 slip catches plus two by the keeper. Some brilliant efforts here.

And here we go!