Sam Curran returns with a touch of swagger and keeps his brother sidelined

Lancashire 134 for 6 (Vilas 61) trail Surrey 211 (Finch 43, Curran 40, Bailey 5-53) by 77 runs
Scorecard

At around 2.30pm, Surrey and England's Sam Curran strode to the crease at The Oval with his side in some disarray on 51 for 4. Batting one place higher than he normally would owing to the absence of Ollie Pope, he coincidentally emerged shortly after Pope himself was out at Trent Bridge, where many Surrey fans felt Curran himself should have been.

After three impressive Tests, including a Man of the Match performance in the thriller at Edgbaston, the sense of a grievous injustice done to a young man filled the humid, claggy air in South East London. Supporters growled their righteous encouragement which came tinged with hostility for the powers that be. County cricket is filled with hostility for the powers that be right now, and Surrey fans are at the forefront of this growling.

There was something discernibly different about the Sam Curran that marched out to bat this time. Until now he has been the junior wunderkind at a club that is churning out highly effective and talented youngsters. He has been the younger brother to Tom. The teenage scamp with more than a hint of Richmal Crompton's Just William, a childlike frown of intense concentration never far from his face whether he's batting or bowling. The youthful prodigy who many say will become a better batsman than bowler but one whose bowling seems to improve year on year. A player yet to be fully formed around whom towering hopes are built, but still a player in the making.

Today, though, he arrived at the middle as an England Test match star. His approach to the wicket seemed different. There was almost a swagger. He made Lancashire's Joe Mennie wait at the top of his mark as he surveyed the field. He might almost have been chewing gum, wielding an SS Jumbo and wearing a West Indian cap at a jaunty angle.

Far from being in a sulk over his temporary displacement from the England team, he was bristling with intent. For 68 minutes pretty much every one of the fifty balls bowled to him pinged off the middle of his bat. One particular drive over extra cover was hit with what looked like cussed, furious but controlled rage. By the time he was out for 40, edging a beauty from Tom Bailey to the keeper, England had almost completely subsided at Trent Bridge, where their highest scorer, as many Surrey fans were keen to point out, had managed only 39.

Curran's return to a Surrey side that looked rusty after a month of T20 cricket came at the expense of his brother Tom. How times have changed. Last year Tom Curran was the work horse of this team's bowling attack, pretty much the first name on the team sheet. But the elder Curran has missed a fair dollop of this season with injury and in the meantime Morne Morkel, Jade Dernbach, Rikki Clarke and Sam Curran have emerged as the most potent seam bowling quartet in the country.

In addition to Pope, Surrey were also missing Scott Borthwick and Jason Roy, the latter to a self-inflicted injury with a rebounding bat in the Oval dressing room last Wednesday that will feature prominently, no doubt, in one of those lists that also includes Quinton de Kock walking his dog and Derek Pringle writing a letter, but right now is not generating too much mirth in Kennington as Surrey seek a first County Championship title in 16 years.

Apart from a pugnacious 43 from Aaron Finch and a classic fast bowlers' stand of 56 for the ninth wicket between Morkel and Dernbach, there was, unusually, not much to recommend in a skittish display against the pink ball that ended after just 52.2 overs with a mere 211 on the board.

But Surrey are not top of the table for no reason. Lancashire were soon reduced to 41 for 3, including Haseeb Hameed bowled for the fifth time this season. As the ball grew softer and before the lights took full effect Dane Vilas counter-attacked superbly for the day's highest score of 61, but cometh the hour, Surrey turned to Curran. Leaving extra cover open he set up Vilas with two balls snaking back into the right-hander's pads before pushing one across him. Vilas, a wise old head at 33, was outfoxed and couldn't resist the drive, edging into the gleeful gloves of Ben Foakes.

Jade Dernbach was forced out of the attack mid-over with an injury which will test Surrey's resources in this match but Clarke picked up a late brace of wickets as Lancashire closed on 134 for 6. It was England's Sam Curran, though who had prised open the door. How England missed him at Trent Bridge.