Notts are closing in on a vital, maximum points County Championship victory over relegated Surrey at tea on the third day at the Oval.

They need to claim just three more wickets – two if injured wicket-keeper Jonathan Batty does not bat again – after Surrey slumped to 92-7 in their second innings.

They need to score an unlikely 174 runs just to make Notts bat again, who had amassed 532 in their first innings earlier in the day.

Resuming on 1-0 after lunch, Surrey were soon in trouble losing their first wicket as Chris Murtagh fell for a dreaded pair, caught by Chris Read off Charlie Shreck.

Fellow opener Darren Pattinson then claimed the prized scalp of Mark Ramprakash, thanks to Will Jefferson's catch, and Surrey were 12-2.

Just five runs later, Scott Newman was bowled by Pattinson to leave the home side in a real mess.

Former Notts player Usman Afzaal and Matthew Spriegel did their best to repair the damage and carried the score to 46.

But then Afzaal was cleaned up by Andre Adams.

Notts continued to chip away and Graeme Swann claimed his first wicket when Bilal Shafayat caught Lee Hodgson (5).

Mark Ealham was also successful, disturbing the furniture of Stuart Meaker, to make it 70-6.

Swann struck again soon after to remove Murtaza Hussian before the resilient Spriegel (38 not out) and Shoaib Akhtar (10 not out) saw the hosts through to tea.