Yorkshire's brittle batting put them under the cosh at Guildford as Surrey took another big step towards dispossessing them of their Championship title.

On a pitch which required some early care against the seamers, Yorkshire slumped to 172 all out in just 46 overs and by the close they were already in the red with Surrey having moved briskly to 207-5 with opener Jon Batty unbeaten on 78.

It was the fifth time in ten matches that Yorkshire have managed either just one batting bonus point or none at all and this has put considerable strain on their bowlers.

Bradford-born paceman David Wigley came in for his first class debut but so far the 20-year-old will remember the occasion more for his batting than his bowling.

Coming in as last man he helped himself to three fours off Rikki Clarke with a steer, an edge and a cut before being dismissed by Saqlain Mushtaq for 15, and although he went on to bowl a useful opening over he was later heavily punished, particularly by Alistair Brown.

Yorkshire's woes began in the first over when Matthew Wood's misery continued, the out-of-form opener getting a ball from Ed Giddins which lifted sharply and ballooned off the shoulder of the bat to Ian Salisbury at gully.

Wood has now accumulated three ducks in three innings against Surrey this season.

Makeshift opener Vic Craven and Anthony McGrath attacked strongly and put on 53 in 12 overs but Giddins and James Ormond always remained a threat and wickets in consecutive overs for Giddins had Yorkshire on the rack.

Darren Lehmann soon got the seven he required to become the second batsman in the country to make it to 1,000 runs but without addition he was turned round by Ormond for Clarke to take a great left-handed catch at third slip and it became 85-5 when Michael Lumb tamely fell to Ormond.

Gary Fellows and Richard Blakey raised brief hopes of a revival with a 40 stand before Fellows holed out carelessly against Clarke and apart from Wigley's late flourish the tail did not distinguish itself.

A double blast from Chris Silverwood, on standby for the Test, rocked Surrey after Ian Ward and Batty had put on 24 in nine overs. But Shahid helped Batty put Surrey in charge with a 77-stand in which Shahid struck Wigley for a flat six over.

Ryan Sidebottom's persistence paid off when Shahid sliced him to Fellows but Brown soon stepped up the tempo in a 92 partnership with Batty who moved to a well constructed 50 from 134 balls.

Brown got his half-century from 59 balls but speared a catch to Craven before Salisbury fell.

SCOREBOARD

Frizzell County Championship

Division One

(Day 2 of 4)

Surrey v Yorkshire

(at Guildford)

Yorkshire First Innings

Wood c Salisbury b Giddins 0

Craven c Batty b Giddins 21

McGrath lbw b Giddins 26

Lehmann c Clarke b Ormond 7

Lumb c Saqlain Mushtaq b Ormond 16

Fellows c Shahid b Clarke 16

Blakey c Shahid b Saqlain Mushtaq 23

Dawson c Brown b Clarke 15

Silverwood c Hollioake b Clarke 2

Sidebottom not out 6

Wigley c Clarke b Saqlain Mushtaq 15

Extras b4 lb7 w2 nb12 25

Total (46 overs) 172

Fall: 1-0 2-53 3-64 4-74 5-85 6-125 7-141 8-150 9-151

Bowling: Giddins 15-3-48-3 Ormond 13-3-51-2 Saqlain Mushtaq 10-1-21-2 Clarke 8-0-41-3

Surrey First Innings

Ward c Blakey b Silverwood ...................... 12

Batty not out 78

Ramprakash b Silverwood 0

Shahid c Fellows b Sidebottom 45

Brown c Craven b Fellows 50

Salisbury b Fellows 0

Hollioake not out 1

Extras b3 lb6 nb12 21

Total 5 wkts (56 overs) 207

Fall: 1-24 2-24 3-101 4-193 5-195

Division One

(Grace Road) Leicestershire 131 (Saggers 5-44) 52.2ovs v Kent 183-4 (Key 103no) 49ovs

(Edgbaston) Warwickshire 368-7 (Knight 198no, Powell 57) 104ovs v Sussex

Division Two

(First day of 4)

(Riverside) Durham v Nottinghamshire 362 (Afzaal 103no, Gallian 75, Franks 60) 101.1ovs

(Chelmsford) Essex 231 24.3ovs v Glamorgan

(Cheltenham) Gloucestershire 367 (Hancock 112, Taylor 67, Alleyne 62, Windows 55) 107ovs v Middlesex

Updated: 12:13 Thursday, July 25, 2002