Two clashes against Nottinghamshire at the Kia Oval may go a long way to defining Surrey’s season.

The first, on Tuesday, is the final group match of the Metro Bank Cup, a place in the top three required for Rory Burns and his men to proceed into the knockout stages.

Their best run in the competition for five years saw Kent beaten by 95 runs to leave them second in the table only to suffer a 188-run thrashing by Somerset at Taunton.

But results elsewhere going their way left Surrey (fourth) with the still stiff task of beating second-placed Notts – level on points, along with Lancashire (third) but in front on net run rate – while keeping in front of Kent, also on 16 points but behind on net run rate. The quarter-finals are on Friday and last four games two days later with the final in late September.

Openers Ryan Patel (73) and Dominic Sibley (53) led the way to 286 all out against Kent, topped up by Burns (33) and Josh Blake’s 32 before Kent were bowled out for 191. Tom Lawes took a List A best of four for 40, off-spinner Tommy Ealham doing likewise with three for 37.

But at Taunton, Tom Lammonby (114) and Lewis Goldsworthy (83) sped Somerset to a mighty 368 for nine, Surrey managing just 180 all out.

Notts will return to London for the restart of the Rothesay County Championship on Thursday, August 20 – a break of almost two months while the white ball formats have dominated – for Surrey’s Festival of Red Ball Cricket.

Last year Notts triumphed by 20 runs in a match which determined the destination of the title, allowing them to end Surrey’s three-year domination.

They will arrive this time leading the table while Surrey, who have just a solitary victory in their eight matches so far, are down in seventh. But just 25 points divide the sides in a packed Division One table as the counties get ready for a six-match sprint through to the end of the campaign. Yorkshire are only two points below Surrey while bottom pair Hampshire and Leicestershire trail by 19 points.

Should the hosts lose, they may be looking downwards in trepidation rather than upwards.

England’s first Test against Pakistan at Headingley mean Notts will be missing fast bowler Josh Tongue – so influential in deciding last year’s clash – and opener Ben Duckett but the national selectors have taken an even deeper bite from Surrey’s ranks. Leading scorer for the county – and second in the country – Dan Lawrence has been recalled after two years and joining him are wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, batter Ollie Pope plus seam bowlers Gus Atkinson and Matt Fisher.

Pope, who has scored 510 runs so far this season, was a surprise inclusion in the 16-man squad and is not expected to play in the Test but whether he is released to play against Notts is another matter. The same could be said of Fisher.

But Surrey expect first-choice wicketkeeper Ben Foakes will finally return after a lay-off of more than three months after suffering a torn bicep muscle.

By Richard Spiller