Skipper Jeetan Patel sets example

Patel bowled unchanged from just before lunch to just before 6pm for figures of 31-14-53-4 which restricted the champions to 188 all out in reply to the home side’s 293.

On a pitch on which fluent batting has proved difficult, a lead of 105 is significant and in 12 overs before the close Warwickshire enhanced that lead with a further 26 without loss. But Rory Burns’ side, though depleted by injuries, knows that quick wickets on the third morning would put them right back in this match.

It is ‘Advantage Warwickshire’ but both teams are still very much targeting their first Division One win of the season in a game which has been a superb advert for championship cricket.

It has delivered two days of fascinating fluctuation. After Warwickshire recovered from 186-8 to total 293, Surrey reached 73-1 then lost five wickets for 19 runs in 13 overs before partially recovering themselves to 188. The script for the rest of this tangled tale is impossible to predict.

After resuming on the second morning on 275-8, the Bears added only 18 as Liam Norwell (64) and Olly Hannon-Dalby (4) fell, leaving Henry Brookes unbeaten on 41.

In reply, Surrey soon lost Mark Stoneman but Rory Burns’ fluent 40 set a solid platform until he flayed Hannon-Dalby straight to backward point.

Accurate bowling, led by Patel, then built pressure which triggered a collapse. Scott Borthwick (40) fell lbw to Norwell before Patel took three wickets – Dean Elgar, Ryan Patel and Will Jacks – in an over.

Ben Foakes (57 not out) and Rikki Clarke added 58 and then 37 with Gareth Batty before Brookes bagged wickets with successive balls.