Sussex are ready to offer Rana Naved a big future at Hove after seeing him speed them towards victory in the must-win derby.
Naved, bowling with pace and swing under cloud cover at Hove, took 4-50 off his 15 overs yesterday, including two wickets with successive balls, to leave Sussex needing just 125 to edge towards top-flight safety in the Frizzell County Championship.
They completed a five-wicket win inside three days as trademark innings from expansive Matt Prior and gritty Mike Yardy rescued them from a shaky 33-4 at tea.
Naved has been a hit with Sussex after making his belated entry to county cricket in early July.
He has already taken 22 Championship wickets at 20 runs apiece and skipper Chris Adams revealed the county were keen to keep him beyond the end of this summer.
Adams said: "He's menacing, isn't he? He looks dangerous just the way he runs in. He has fitted in brilliantly, he's a smashing lad and he has already proved a great signing.
"Hopefully he has a great end to the season and with a bit of luck we can secure him for the future.
"As long as he wants to come back and he does not have too many commitments for Pakistan, he'll always be welcome at this club."
Coming in down the slope, Naved swung the ball appreciably into the right-handers and claimed the key wicket of Azhar Mahmood with one which drifted across the big-hitter's waft across the line and removed leg stump.
Nayan Doshi thought he had covered up sufficiently but saw the next ball come back to send his off pole cartwheeling as Surrey lost their last five wickets for 24 in five lively overs.
Surrey's new ball men had Sussex's top order trembling, four catches being snapped up by the wicketkeeper or in the slips.
The hosts came out after tea, though, with a gameplan, a central part of which appeared to be Prior attacking Nayan Doshi.
Prior hit two sixes and ten fours and, with anchorman Yardy, plundered 82 off the first 12 overs after tea to settle the contest.
Sussex were in charge for most of the day. Surrey, resuming 76 behind with all second-innings wickets intact, had taken ten off the deficit when Luke Wright dived forward at mid-off for a great catch as Richard Clinton drove.
Rana trapped Scott Newman but Ricky Clarke, deciding all-out attack was the best form of defence against Mushtaq Ahmed, drove and pulled the spinner for six and saw a low but catchable chance put down by Yardy at deep mid-on when he had made 26.
Mark Ramprakash was undone by a little extra bounce from Rana, allowing a relieved Yardy to catch at first slip with the scores level just before lunch.
Two wickets in the first three full overs of the afternoon session put Sussex on course to win in three days.
Jon Batty was trapped on the back foot looking to turn Robin Martin-Jenkins through mid-wicket and Alistair Brown got a thin edge behind as James Kirtley produced pace and lift.
Clarke and new partner Mahmood added 64 for the sixth wicket and threatened everyone's day off today before a disgusted looking Clarke was given lbw shuffling forward to Ahmed.
Rana's double-strike was followed by simple catches offered to the bowler and to slip off Mushtaq.
Sussex's small target looked a test of nerve given recent failures to make the most of winning positions.
They wobbled but this time there was no late swing of fortunes.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article