An accomplished 98 off 112 balls by Ian Blackwell not only dragged Somerset back into this match, but by chipping in with the wicket of Graham Thorpe just before the close the 23-year-old all-rounder also appears to have given his side the upper hand in a contest which looks far from over.

Prior to Blackwell’s arrival at 69 for four it had been all Surrey. After conceding three boundaries in his first over of the day, Alex Tudor accounted for Trescothick, Burns and Cox in an impressive opening spell, which the tall fast bowler rounded off with five maidens.

Tudor did his chances of playing for England no harm at all by having Marcus Trescothick caught behind off a short ball that angled away and Michael Burns taken at throat height at first slip before removing Jamie Cox’s middle stump with an in-swinging yorker.

Martin Bicknell took over at the Pavilion End and immediately collected his fiftieth wicket against Somerset by trapping Keith Parsons lbw. But then Ian Blackwell extricated his side by aggressive means and, as the weather improved, moved to his half-century in 44 balls with three boundaries in four deliveries from Alex Tudor.

The back foot drive is clearly the left-hander’s main strength. However, by the time the Surrey bowlers appreciated this, the balance of power had shifted significantly back to something resembling parity.

Blackwell and Turner made up for the loss of Peter Bowler, who was caught at slip in the second over after lunch, by putting on 106 runs in equal time. Their sixth wicket stand was eventually broken by Bicknell, who claimed three victims in nine balls to leave the visitors slightly ahead with two first innings wickets remaining.

Rob Turner lobbed a catch to mid-on, Keith Dutch was taken at third slip and the left-handed Matt Bulbeck had his defences breached by one that appeared to veer back off the seam. A short while later Ian Blackwell joined them in the dressing room after he was adjudged leg before to Salisbury, who had elected to go around the wicket. Blackwell did not hide his distress, but it was not clear whether he was upset not to have reached three figures or in dispute with the umpire, John Holder.

In contrast to their opponents the home side spilled a handful of chances. Ian Salisbury was probably the unluckiest of Surrey’s bowlers, seeing a couple of close-to-the-wicket catches go to ground in the space of two overs. But the worst offender was Martin Bicknell, who spilled a straightforward opportunity at second slip off James Ormond, which would have seen the back of Turner on ten.

As in the home side’s first innings, Mark Butcher and Mark Ramprakash went cheaply. Butcher was adjudged leg before to one that held its line before, in the thirteenth over, Ramprakash pushed the ball straight to mid-on and ran. Ian Ward didn’t, however, and Steffan Jones’s return to the wicketkeeper found the former Middlesex man some way short of his ground.

Before he opened his account, Graham Thorpe was late on to a yorker from Andy Caddick and offered a half chance high to third slip off Matt Bulbeck. But then the England number five unfurled a succession of confident square cuts, cover drives and clips through mid-wicket and looked well set until he guided Ian Blackwell into the hands of short fine leg in what was the spinner’s first over of match.

With seven second innings wickets remaining, Surrey take a lead of 54 runs into the third and seemingly crucial day.

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