Azhar Mahmood, playing in his last championship match for Surrey - certainly for this season - gave the home side’s demeanour something of a lift at the AMP Oval yesterday; not just by taking the prized wicket of Andrew Flintoff, but also by bowling his team back into the match with figures of five for 24 in twelve overs.

At one point the Pakistani all-rounder claimed four wickets for 11 in 34 balls. His first victim was Alec Swann, who edged an outswinger low to Alec Stewart’s right. With Swann’s innings of eleven consuming more than an hour it was a relief to all concerned.

Mark Chilton, who was just as circumspect yet delivered all around the wicket, went leg before six overs later. David Byas was then caught by Stewart in front of first slip, but the real high spot was the ball that accounted for Flintoff.

After totally dominating the opening day, England’s 24-year-old all-rounder was made to look like a tailender as he spectacularly lost his middle stump after being undone for sheer pace.

Azhar’s name will now be hard to ignore when Surrey start to plan for next season and thoughts turn to who might be their second overseas player, assuming they go for two and assuming also that Saqlain Mushtaq remains the club’s first choice. Saqlain now has a hard act to follow, though.

Mahmood’s fifth victim just before tea enabled Stewart beat his own record for the number of dismissals by a wicketkeeper in this fixture. Both players will be hoping they can add to their tallies this morning. With Lancashire 228 runs ahead as things stand, the home side will probably fancy their chances of making a sub-300 total batting last on a slow and low pitch. Everything would appear to depend of them making short work of Stuart Law and Warren Hegg, both of whom have a history of making runs at Surrey’s expense.

Earlier in proceedings Ian Salisbury, playing no stroke, lost his off stump to Glen Chapple in the eighth over of the day and at 129 for eight the current leaders were in danger of following-on.

After capturing the wicket of Martin Bicknell, caught at short extra cover, Gary Keedy went for 36 runs in five overs, easing the tension completely. Alex Tudor and James Ormond tucked into the left-arm spinner just before tucking into their lunch, which had to be ordered early when Tudor was harshly adjudged leg before to Chapple for 61.

In their tenth wicket partnership of 52 in 37 minutes both players carted Keedy over mid-wicket for sixes; in Tudor’s case to go to both his first half-century of the season in 79 deliveries and to ensure that Lancashire batted again.

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