A lead of 23 points will aid Surrey as they head into the final straight of their campaign to win a hat-trick of County Championship titles.

Rory Burns’ men restart the four-day programme – which has largely laid dormant since mid-June while the white ball formats dominate – by hosting Lancashire at the Kia Oval from Thursday, August 22.

The Red Rose county may lie seventh and be more engaged in the tussle at the bottom of Division One than the top but they are also the only side to beat Surrey in a first-class match on home territory since 2021, having skated to a 123-run victory last summer.

Following on the back of that is a trip to Trent Bridge to take on Nottinghamshire – one place and point ahead of Lancashire – before what may prove the key moment in this year’s title campaign, heading to Taunton to take on second-placed Somerset.

After that comes a home clash with promoted Durham (fifth) before concluding against Essex at Chelmsford. They are currently third, having been Surrey’s main rivals for much of the summer, but are an additional six points adrift.

No county has won the Championship three years running since Yorkshire between 1966 and 1968.

Alec Stewart, due to step down as director of cricket later this year, has grown accustomed to patching together what is left by calls from international teams and franchise tournaments.

With Ollie Pope – likely to captain England for the first time if Ben Stokes is unfit – plus Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson having all shone against West Indies, they will be joined by Dan Lawrence in the side for next week’s first Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford, pushed up to open in place of injured Zak Crawley.

That turned the final stages of Surrey’s Metro Bank Trophy campaign into a potential audition, defeats in the opening five matches having ensured there was no route through to the knockout stages of the 50-over competition.

The first win finally came against Leicestershire at Kibworth, openers Dominic Sibley (105) and Ryan Patel (72) aided by Ben Geddes (61) to make 296 for six, which proved enough to win by 17 runs.

That was followed quickly by another success as Essex were beaten by 89 runs at Chelmsford, Patel’s 83 backed up by a maiden List A century for Josh Blake, whose 100 not out was joined by 19-year-old Ollie Sykes – crashing five sixes in his fierce 87 not out – in a powerful stand worth 155 for the fourth wicket.

Wicketkeeper Blake added two catches and two stumpings while Essex were bowled out for 217, Cameron Steel finishing with four for 50.

Blake’s 53 augmented Geddes’ 81 against Sussex at Hove but Surrey could only reach 242 all out in the 48th over.

Tom Alsop (108 not out) and Tom Haines (79) took the hosts to victory by six wickets and left Surrey in danger of the wooden spoon in Group B.

By Richard Spiller