Following the loss of day three, Surrey turned down the chance to contrive a result at the AMP Oval yesterday.

With Andy Caddick on board, the visitors probably opened proceedings harbouring thoughts of causing an upset. But despite Nasser Hussain’s assertion in a Sunday newspaper that the stands at the Oval cause the ball to move around wildly, the England seamer looked relatively ordinary as Somerset failed to capitalise on a good start which saw the home side reduced to 191 for six at one stage – just 159 ahead.

Perhaps it had something to do with the workload heaped on Caddick whenever he turns out for the cidermen. Although he saw two difficult chances go begging – most notably when Parsons failed to hold on to Tudor at midwicket – the tall 33-year-old was no-balled six times and also warned for running on the pitch.

The hosts began the final morning 54 runs ahead for three down. Ian Salisbury opened his account by hitting the first delivery of the day for four, but was caught off bat and pad next ball. Ian Ward and Alistair Brown then put on 83 for the fifth-wicket until Ward, who made a patient 67 in 143 deliveries, edged Keith Dutch’s fifth ball to slip.

Fifteen minutes later Brown, who put Andy Caddick away for three successive boundaries in the 46th over, was leg before sweeping for 48. After lunch, however, Alec Stewart and Alex Tudor came together in a partnership worth 87 in 24 overs to make things safe for Mark Butcher’s men.

Stewart, whose half-century took 88 balls and included six fours and a swept six off Dutch, fell in the 78th over to an inswinging delivery from Matt Bulbeck and Tudor went ten overs later, backing away to cut Ian Blackwell, who finished with figures of three for 19 in fifteen overs to add to his superb 98.

Surrey eventually made 332, leaving the visitors needing to make 300 in a minimum of 20 overs, which was well beyond even Jamie Cox and Marcus Trescothick, who was caught behind in identical fashion to his first innings dismissal in the fourth over.

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