The sniffer dog ensured that there were no explosive devices to threaten Surrey's president, the former Prime Minister, John Major, but Surrey did not get a whiff of the fireworks in store for them late in a day in which they had trod familiar territory.

The sniffer dog ensured that there were no explosive devices to threaten Surrey's president, the former Prime Minister, John Major, but Surrey did not get a whiff of the fireworks in store for them late in a day in which they had trod familiar territory.

Until Phillip DeFreitas and Dominic Williamson got together after tea for an 86-run stand, Surrey's bowlers had been in charge, and that despite the first hundred of the season scored against them, courtesy of Ben Smith.

Ominously for Leicestershire and Surrey's remaining opponents, this is a below-strength attack. Alex Tudor is out with a side strain and Ian Salisbury is playing with an injured right shoulder. He did not bowl until 6.21pm when it became imperative to speed up the over-rate, the intention being to save the leg-spinner's shoulder for the second innings.

So the burden of wicket-taking fell to Martin Bicknell and Saqlain Mushtaq. Bicknell obliged on his home turf, taking his 31st haul of five wickets or more in an innings which took him to 42 for the season - making him the leading England-qualified bowler.

While Bicknell took six wickets from the Pavilion End, Saqlain switched from that to the Railway End and back, until the trains swayed him, but his only respite on a long day came with each change of ends. But neither bowler could do much about the eighth-wicket pair.

Williamson had scored a career-best 47 before Adam Hollioake had him caught behind, after some consultation between the two umpires to check the ball had carried. DeFreitas followed next over, caught by Hollioake.

Earlier Smith, who had proved equally obdurate two years ago when making a double hundred at The Oval, scored his second hundred in successive matches. He had to survive a chance or two but he stuck at it for more than four hours, resisting Surrey's best efforts until Bicknell found an edge after tea. Neil Burns fell quickly, but then DeFreitas and Williamson took over.