Nathan Smith’s six for 38 sped Surrey to victory at Worcester as they closed the gap at the top of Rothesay County Championship Division One to two points.

The Kiwi’s familiarity with New Road – he shone there last year before moving to the Kia Oval – proved invaluable, a win by nine wickets just after lunch on day three earning his colleagues an extra day off before last weekend’s home clash with Durham.

Eight wickets in his first three matches had proved a thin harvest for Smith since his Surrey debut at the start of May and he went without reward in Worcestershire’s first innings, the impressive Matt Fisher (three for 34) and Jordan Clark (three for 38) gaining most reward as the bottom side reached 209. Much of that down was to Matthew Waite’s 68, dragging Worcestershire up from 153 for eight.

With Ben Foakes absent on paternity leave, Rory Burns donned the gloves for the first time in the Championship for a decade, although Surrey called in deputy Josh Blake for the Durham match.

It meant a new opening pair too, Ryan Patel returning to the top of the order and shining with 61, which dominated an alliance with Dominic Sibley worth 87. Burns made 34 and Dan Lawrence signalled his comeback from a back injury in May by hitting 52, Sibley’s marathon 73 from 184 balls providing the backbone to the innings.

But it still required 34 from Clark down the order to earn the visitors a lead of 77, missing a second batting point by nine runs at 291 all out, seamer Ben Allison’s five for 44 profit for his persistence. One of his victims was Mitchell Santner, the New Zealander’s reaction to being given leg before wicket seeing him handed two level one penalties for dissent and five runs being added to Worcestershire’s total.

With the increasing signs of inconsistent bounce on a pitch rarely straightforward for batting, Surrey knew chasing in the final innings might prove hazardous. But the hosts were soon in trouble at 21 for three, Smith striking a key blow by having fellow Kiwi Henry Nicholls leg before wicket for a duck.

Fisher again relished the conditions to claim four for 47, only a 66-run stand for the fifth wicket between Adam Hose (40) and Allison (27) keeping Surrey waiting but the final six wickets falling for 13 runs. It left a meagre target of 49, Patel’s 35 not out eating into much of that to earn Surrey a third win in eight outings this year and their first on the road.

They were given an outstanding start against Durham by Sibley batting throughout the first day and enjoying a third-wicket partnership worth 166 with Sam Curran (108). Blake’s call-up enabled Burns to return to the top of the order and his 55 headed an opening stand worth 95.

Surrey return to their Vitality Blast campaign lying second in South Group with Somerset four points ahead while Sussex and Kent are six points behind.

With Santner having headed off on international duty, Surrey have signed Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa for the next four matches.

Blast fixtures – July 6: Essex (H); July 9: Gloucestershire (A); July 11: Glamorgan (H); July 13: Somerset (H); July 16: Middlesex (A); July 18: Sussex (A).

By Richard Spiller