Starting the final day on 19 without loss, still 44 runs behind, Essex lost their first innings centurion Paul Walter for just three in the second over of the morning.

Walter was adjudged leg-before to Gus Atkinson, although it looked a questionable decision with the England paceman bowling from around the wicket to the giant Essex left-hander.

At 22-1 there might have been a wobble but Westley and Elgar were helped by two missed chances at short mid-wicket – Westley clipping off his pads both times.

The first chance was a difficult one but in the second one, off Matt Fisher, the ball looked to slip clean through Dom Sibley’s hands as he stooped to his right to take the catch.

Essex were 92-1 at lunch and in mid-afternoon Westley, 37, accelerated superbly to his 33rd first-class hundred with an eye-catching assault on both Tom Lawes and Fisher.

Lawes, in his third over, was pulled for six and three balls later thrashed through extra cover for four as Westley went to 83.

He then raced into the 90s by pulling Fisher twice for four and reached three figures by flicking Lawes off his pads wide of mid on for another boundary.

By contrast, Elgar was playing the anchor role to perfection, although he did once advance down the pitch to hit Dan Lawrence’s off spin back over his head for six to go to 64.

In the previous over Elgar had watched Westley play the same lofted straight drive – for the same result – off Lawrence, but the bowler did at least then have Westley caught brilliantly by a diving Sibley at deep mid wicket in the 60th over.

Charlie Allison was 35 not out at the end, adding a further 83 with Elgar who batted for five and a half hours and faced 238 balls.

Surrey have now drawn their first three matches of the season, all high-scoring affairs, but they (and England) will be pleased with the form of Atkinson following a long lay-off with a hamstring complaint.

Atkinson bowled with good pace in his first match since last winter’s Boxing Day Ashes Test against Australia, and in Essex’s second innings finished with figures of 11-3-12-1 while looking threatening throughout despite the sluggish pitch.

Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.