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.

The Kiwi’s familiarity with New Road – he shone there last year before moving to the Kia Oval – proved invaluable as Surrey won by nine wickets.

Smith went without reward in Worcestershire’s first innings, Matt Fisher (three for 34) and Jordan Clark (three for 38) gaining most reward as the bottom side reached 209.

Ryan Patel returned to the top of the order and shone with 61, which dominated an alliance with Dominic Sibley worth 87. Rory Burns made 34 and Dan Lawrence signalled his comeback from a back injury by hitting 52, Sibley’s marathon 73 from 184 balls providing the backbone to the innings.

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.

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 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 fell for 13 runs. It left a target of 49, Patel’s 35 not out eating into much of that to earn Surrey a third win in eight outings this year.

By Richard Spiller