Dom Sibley continued his impressive start to the season with a battling 77 in the heavyweight clash between last year’s first and second in the County Championship but his dismissal in the last half hour of day two at Trent Bridge felt like an important blow struck by the defending champions.

Sibley, whose form is making a case for a potential Test recall as England reset after the winter Ashes debacle, batted for more than four hours against a high-quality Nottinghamshire attack as Surrey closed on 211-4 in reply to the home side’s first-innings 415.

The 30-year-old opener, who won the most recent of his 22 Test caps in August 2021, failed in his quest for a third century in as many matches, but his innings was vital in the face of the threat posed by England pace bowlers Josh Tongue (2-38) and Olly Stone.

He was eventually caught behind off left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White, shortly after Dan Lawrence had survived a difficult chance on 43, and he was 52 not out at the close.

Nottinghamshire, 317-7 overnight, began the day by adding 98 runs for their last two wickets after Joe Clarke had fallen to the second ball he faced without addition to his 129.

Sean Abbott claimed the wicket via a thin edge to Jamie Smith, who is keeping in place of the injured Ben Foakes.

Stone joined Fergus O’Neill in adding 24 for the ninth wicket before he and Tongue plundered another 74 for the 10th on a frustrating morning for Surrey.

What Nottinghamshire really wanted from Stone, Tongue and O’Neill, of course, was a meaningful clutch of wickets to inflict still more pain on the visitors. Yet only one was forthcoming in the 37 overs Surrey faced between lunch and tea.

On the field together for the first time as Nottinghamshire team-mates, Stone and Tongue gave their captain the chance to threaten Surrey with express pace from both ends.

Encouraged by the form he rediscovered against Leicestershire last week, Stone removed Rory Burns to provide an early fillip.

Looking to pull, the Surrey captain could only send the ball skywards off a top edge, with Stone making it clear that he was tracking its path before steadying himself to take the catch.

Smith arrived to join Sibley and what followed was the kind of attritional yet absorbing contest you would expect to see when these teams meet, particularly in the light of the epic encounter they shared at the Kia Oval last year.

In reaching tea at 119-1, Surrey’s second-wicket pair could be pleased with their work, but Tongue, back for his second spell after the interval, hatched a plan that quickly saw Smith caught – by Ben Duckett – at leg slip, fending the ball away in front of his visor.

A couple of overs later, another short delivery saw Ryan Patel snapped up at short leg and having been 131-1, Surrey were 137-3.

Lawrence went on the attack as he and Sibley alleviated that moment of crisis, but after failing to cling on to a tough chance given by the former off Stone on 43, Patterson-White produced an excellent delivery to hand his side a late advantage.