For once the weather forecasters got it right and it did rain at Manchester. Well there’s a surprise, though not as much of a surprise as Surrey’s reluctance to insert Lancashire again, which could well have made a difference to the eventual outcome.

At least one mystery was cleared up before the start of play. According to both Ceefax and Teletext, the reason why the visitors batted on longer than anticipated on Sunday was because they were awaiting word from Perth, where Adam Hollioake is still in residence, on when Surrey should declare their second innings.

After taking an early lunch, only 9.1 overs were possible before the next spots of rain arrived at 1.40pm. Still, no matter if you were a regular punter, as it was free to get in on account of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.

The really patient souls were rewarded with a further 16.5 overs of action later in the day, in which the Oval outfit captured two more wickets, but never really threatened to deliver the result their cricket deserved. Only the most suicidal of tendencies could have brought about a positive conclusion and, consequently, Surrey drop to second in the table.

Martin Bicknell’s superb opening spell brought the wicket of Alec Swann, who was lbw half forward and shouldering arms to one that nipped back. Neil Fairbrother then did his best to get out. The 38-year-old was dropped at leg slip off Bicknell in the fifth over and very nearly nicked a short ball from Ormond moments later, before thrashing him for three consecutive fours through the off-side.

Three inspections preceded the final instalment in which Mark Chilton was leg before in Jimmy Ormond’s uncompleted over and Fairbrother departed in similar fashion soon afterwards. For the second time in the match Bicknell was warned for running on the pitch, while Ormond was reprimanded for bowling too many bumpers. When eighteen balls from Saqlain Mushtaq failed to make any impact, the two sides called it a day with eight overs to go.

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