By David Green at Cheltenham
First day of four: Surrey 256-6 v Gloucs
ADAM Hollioake's handsome unbeaten 100, his first century of a season in which his previous highest score was 59, rescued Surrey after they had faltered to 109 for four on a true, easy-paced Cheltenham pitch.
Hollioake was assisted by a career-best 35 from James Knott, son of Alan, a neat and orthodox 23-year-old who played a valuable second fiddle in a fifth-wicket stand of 115 and batted composedly against the hostile Courtney Walsh.
It was, however, Walsh's new-ball partner, Mike Smith, who made the early breakthrough, Ian Ward thin-edging one he tried to leave alone, but Jason Ratcliffe settled quickly, driving firmly past cover and also playing profitably off his legs.
Smith removed Nadeem Shahid, lbw to a full-length ball, and after Ratcliffe and Alistair Brown had both hooked Walsh to the composed Jonathan Lewis at long leg, it seemed that Surrey's aggressive approach had betrayed them. Adam Hollioake, though, met the crisis boldly.
Though beaten now and then by the home seamers, the Surrey captain offered resolute defence from which he emerged regularly to despatch anything loose for four. He was so commanding that his moderate championship form is difficult to understand.
Brother Ben was well caught by Martyn Ball at slip on the stroke of lunch. Knott's valuable innings ended with an injudicious carve but Hollioake senior, having hit 18 fours and a six off 142 balls, reached three figures just before the rain came.
Day 2: Smith's best fails to halt Surrey march
By David Green at Cheltenham
Second day of four: Surrey (297 & 111-5) lead Gloucestershire (167) by 241 runs
SURREY, though lacking Alec Stewart, Mark Butcher, Ian Salisbury and Graham Thorpe, are well placed against Gloucestershire after a remarkable day's cricket at Cheltenham and are surely a stride closer to their first championship title since 1971.
In the morning Mike Smith's burst of three for five in 22 balls, including Adam Hollioake for an invaluable 112, brought him season's best figures of six for 66, Surrey's four outstanding wickets falling for 31 runs.
Gloucestershire responded solidly enough, reaching 145 for only three wickets, but Martin Bicknell, with five for 34, and Saqlain Mushtaq, four for 84, cut down their last six wickets in 27 balls for a single, Dominic Hewson top scoring with 52.
The drama was not yet over, for Surrey soon found themselves at 16 for two in their second innings. They lost three more wickets before the close, 19 falling in the day on a true pitch offering some bounce.
When Surrey resumed in the morning at 256 for six Adam Hollioake and Jonathan Batty made steady progress until Smith squeezed one between Batty's bat and pad, which had been commendably close together, to hit middle and off-stumps.
Shortly afterwards Smith found Hollioake's outside edge with one that bounced, ending a quality innings lasting four hours and including a six and 20 fours. Walsh then had Bicknell caught at short-leg and Smith summarily bowled Alex Tudor.
When Gloucestershire responded Tudor worked up genuine pace but it was Bicknell who caused the greater problems. Despite these, Tim Hancock and Rob Cunliffe seemed to have established themselves when Saqlain came on at the College Lawn end.
Hancock hit Saqlain to square-leg for four but then skied a return catch which Saqlain missed. Saqlain then picked up and threw to the batsman's end, where Hancock was and whither Cunliffe was heading, allowing the latter to regain his ground.
Saqlain was soon revenged, a bewildered Cunliffe falling lbw just before lunch. Hancock battled on but Ben Hollioake dismissed him with a yorker during an impressive spell.
Mark Alleyne, not the first to mis-read Saqlain's hand, was caught at slip but Hewson, hitting the Pakistani effectively either side of square-leg, and Matt Windows batted pretty well, putting on 55 in 17 overs.
At that point Windows mishooked Bicknell gently to mid-on. Then Hewson, having reached a painstaking half-century off 128 balls with a six and six fours, edged an outswinger from Bicknell into the wicketkeeper's gloves.
Jack Russell, for once, could not stand the tide, departing lbw without scoring. Matthew Church was another lbw victim, Jon Lewis edged to slip and finally Bicknell dismissed Smith and Walsh with successive balls.
Surrey, leading by 130, soon lost Ian Ward, again caught by Russell off Smith, then Jason Ratcliffe fended a short one from Walsh to gully. Adam Hollioake and Nadeem Shahid had to fight against some probing bowling.
Lewis replaced Walsh and immediately had Shahid lbw pushing forward, then Alleyne ended Alistair Brown's brutal cameo via a catch at mid-on. Walsh returned to have the elder Hollioake caught at second slip but then Ben Hollioake and Saqlain held on until the close.
Day 3: Windows opens way to victory
By David Green at Cheltenham
Gloucs (167 & 266-8) bt Surrey (297 & 135) by 2 wkts
SURREY found the absence of three Test players, plus the injured Graham Thorpe, too much to overcome as Gloucestershire, chasing 266 on a firm, dry Cheltenham pitch, edged home yesterday amid great excitement by two wickets.
Gloucestershire's batting hero's were Matt Windows, with a wonderfully mature innings of 60, Rob Cunliffe with a valuable if fortunate 53, and Martyn Ball, whose swashbuckling 48 off 61 balls gave Gloucestershire a vital boost at the end.
When Surrey resumed in the morning at 111 for five, already 241 runs ahead, it seemed Gloucestershire would be set well over 300 to win but Courtney Walsh, bowling as well as ever at 35, thought otherwise.
In the first over of the day Ben Hollioake, having clipped Walsh sweetly to square leg for four, immediately drove a slower ball to mid-off. In his next over, Walsh had Saqlain Mushtaq deftly caught by Ball at slip. Walsh then had Jonathan Batty lbw and three balls later found Martin Bicknell's outside edge. Finally, Mike Smith fired out Alex Tudor, while Walsh's six for 47 was his fourth six-wicket haul this season and takes his championship tally to 61.
Gloucestershire were again given a useful start by Tim Hancock and Cunliffe, the latter having lives on two, 25 and 34 but playing pretty well nevertheless, sensibly getting well forward to Saqlain to counter his cleverly concealed leg break.
It was Saqlain who made the breach, bowling Hancock with his leg spinner and having Dominic Hewson caught at short leg off bat and pad two balls later. Gloucestershire hit further trouble when Jack Russell was lbw playing across Bicknell.
Cunliffe reached his fifty with a swept six off Saqlain but Ben Hollioake then hit his off stump as he pushed forward. In addition to his six, Cunliffe hit six boundaries, making his runs off 140 balls.
Windows and Mark Alleyne thereafter batted very capably, some of the former's cutting and sweeping being particularly severe, and they had put on 61 together when Alleyne mis-timed a pull off Bicknell and gave square leg a simple catch.
Matt Church, on the back foot, was palpably lbw two balls later but Ball, mixing authentic strokes with one or two streaky ones, counter-attacked as the seventh wicket added 79 in only 16 overs before Windows was caught behind sweeping.
Windows had batted with great composure for nearly four hours, hitting seven fours. Jon Lewis was immediately lbw to an Alex Tudor full toss. Then Ball was badly missed at square leg off Tudor by Nadeem Shahed with 12 runs still needed.
Smith had earlier driven Tudor for four. Then four leg byes and four byes in an over from Saqlain took some pressure off. Finally, a scampered single sealed Gloucestershire's victory which, had Surrey held their catches, might well have been denied them.