Frizzell County Championship leaders Surrey pushed ailing champions Yorkshire closer to the relegation trapdoor by taking a vice-like grip on their encounter at Guildford yesterday.

Surrey ended the day leading by 35 first innings runs after shooting First Division basement side Yorkshire out for 172 and then closing on 207 for five.

Jonathan Batty was unbeaten on 78 as Surrey laid the platform to build up a huge lead today, although the late wickets of Ali Brown (50) and nightwatchman Ian Salisbury (0) gave Yorkshire hope.

Yorkshire struggled for most of the day with out-of-form England Academy graduate Matthew Wood falling to Ed Giddins on the second ball of the day.

Former England paceman Giddins finished with three for 48 and Rikki Clarke three for 41.

In the Second Division, Tim Hancock cracked a ton as Gloucestershire enjoyed an excellent first day in their festival match with Middlesex at Cheltenham.

Hancock top-scored with 112 but was far from the only batsman to contribute as Gloucestershire closed on 367 for six.

Chris Taylor, who shared in a 153-run stand with Hancock, weighed in with 67, Matt Windows 55 and Mark Alleyne 62.

All three eventually fell to Abdur Razzaq, who was the pick of the Middlesex bowling with four for 93.