Lewis finds the answers

Cricket: Surrey 468 Warwickshire 195 & 109 Surrey won by an innings and 164 runs

The cricketer known to himself and others as Chris Lewis has good reason to reflect on the last few days with more satisfaction than sorrow. Being reprimanded and rusticated by England has simply encouraged him to produce for Surrey the kind of form with bat and ball that attracted the national selectors back to him earlier this summer. He may have missed out on a century yesterday, but as Warwickshire lost their last six second- innings wickets for 17 in 52 balls he could savour a comprehensive victory in his first championship match as captain. Taking all 24 points here keeps Surrey well in contention for the title.

Lewis added just 14 yesterday morning to his overnight score, and Surrey 39 to their lead of 234. This is the seventh time this season Surrey have scored 400 or more - in exactly half their games. Lewis had faced 160 balls when Tim Munton had him leg before, and in his next over Munton removed the other overnight batsman, Martin Bicknell, by way of a magnificent catch from Dominic Ostler, launching himself to his right at second slip. Ostler produced the best cricket of the morning when he clung one-handed to Bicknell's edged drive.

There was time for a neat on-drive from Joey Benjamin before the injured Ali Brown was bowled, but it was with the ball that Benjamin made his impact. Beginning with a burst of three for 3 in 12 balls, he broke the back of the Warwickshire second innings with four for 17 in his first eight overs.

Well though Bicknell bowled, and however many times Lewis treated them to pearly white teeth and tortured expressions, the Warwickshire openers had settled in well by the time Benjamin came on after 14 overs. Three balls later he knocked Andy Moles's middle stump out of the ground.

In Benjamin's next over Michael Powell's senseless slash made Warwickshire 38 for two and had Surrey trooping off to lunch entertaining a win with a day to spare. Lewis dropped Ostler at second slip off Benjamin three balls into the afternoon, but he made enthusiastic amends in Benjamin's third over. It has, after all, been his match, however much Benjamin was threatening to steal the third-day honours.

Wasim Khan was his next victim, ending almost two hours of resistance. Dropped when two at third slip off Bicknell, Khan had been batting for an hour and a half before his only boundary took him from seven to 11. If Warwickshire have been batting like this all season, it's not hard to see why it took Trevor Penney until yesterday to become their first batsman to reach 1,000 runs.

Where Benjamin succeeded - as Bicknell did to finish off the innings - was in bowling a line and length which demanded the batsmen play at him. With unerring accuracy he produced deliveries that cut away late and lifted. Lewis, in contrast, asked too few questions in his opening spell. Not that it mattered. He already had the answers.