Thrashing Yorkshire by an innings and 28 runs sent Surrey to within three points of the summit in Rothesay County Championship Division One.

They needed just over an hour of the final day to wrap up their second victory of the season and move menacingly on to the shoulder of leaders Nottinghamshire.

After conceding 665 for five against Warwickshire at Edgbaston a week earlier, and being forced to follow on in their fourth draw out of five, Surrey relished home conditions again at the Kia Oval to complete an 18th win out of the past 24 matches there.

They will be aiming to continue that run against struggling Essex this bank holiday weekend in the Festival of Red Ball Cricket, which starts on Friday.

Even without kingpin seamer Dan Worrall, suffering from a foot injury, Surrey’s phalanx of fast bowlers were too much for Yorkshire after Rory Burns won the toss. Only experienced opener Adam Lyth (55) and Jonny Bairstow’s typically forceful 89 resisted for long as they were bowled out on the opening day for 255. There were three wickets apiece for Tom Lawes and Jordan Clark, the former aided by a stupendous catch way down the legside from Ben Foakes – remarkable even by his sky high standards – which saw him throw himself full length to his left to remove Jonny Tattersall.

Yorkshire’s six-pronged seam attack also found assistance from the well-grassed pitch, initially blunted by a classy 85 from Australian left-hander Kurtis Patterson on debut while Foakes followed his unbeaten 174 at Edgbaston with a solid 86. George Hill, by far the best of the visitors’ attack in claiming five for 66 from 28 overs, provided Bairstow with breakthroughs but Surrey’s lower order put them out of sight. Clark’s 69 saw him add 94 for the eighth wicket with Kiwi Nathan Smith (42) while Lawes cracked an aggressive 37 which guided the hosts to 512 all out.

A back injury sustained batting left Burns without the services of off-spinner Dan Lawrence.

But facing such a massive deficit, Yorkshire threatened to subside at 83 for three, James Wharton’s studied 67 partnering another Bairstow salvo to put on 84 for the fourth wicket. But once they were split by former colleague Matt Fisher castling Wharton, it was Bairstow or bust. He had hit ten fours and two sixes in his 77 when Ryan Patel’s rarely used medium pace uprooted his off-stump and the visitors were all out soon after for 228 to be beaten by an innings and 28 runs. Lawes took his tally for the match to six and Clark seven in a fine all-round display.

It was not only the result which delighted Surrey. A 21st century record crowd of 14,853 for the Kia Oval witnessed the match, beating the 13,706 set in last year’s Red Ball Festival, and they will be hoping to improve upon that again this weekend. Tickets have been reduced to £15 (adults) and £1 (juniors).

“We’ve been blown away by the support we’ve had this year and can’t wait to welcome thousands more this weekend,” said chief executive Steve Elworthy, delighted that almost 38,000 spectators have witnessed the three Championship matches so far.

Among the activities being laid on are free coaching sessions for under-16s. Tickets are available via kiaoval.com/tickets

By Richard Spiller