Surrey went into this week’s potential Rothesay County Championship title-decider with Nottinghamshire just one point ahead.

Their rain-hit draw with Warwickshire at the Kia Oval, yielding 11 points to each side, was just enough to keep them ahead in the battle for the Division One crown.

Dominic Sibley – the competition’s leading run scorer this season with 1,184 at 69 – recovered from a groin strain to make the team for the Nottinghamshire game.

Sent in against Warwickshire after losing the toss, Surrey were bowled out for 246 after half-centuries from skipper Rory Burns and Ollie Pope were augmented by Ryan Patel’s unbeaten 72, Nathan Gilchrist collecting three for 51.

A devastating spell of three for six from Tom Lawes – trapping Alex Davies, Sam Hain and Zen Malik leg before wicket – transformed the match on an action-packed opening day which yielded 14 wickets. Lawes missed the early part of the season after suffering a side strain touring with England Lions. More bursts like that and he will be attracting national attention again.

New Zealander Will Young (72) and Ed Barnard (50) added 89 for the fifth wicket but once they were separated, only last man Gilchrist (25 not out) proved a serious obstacle, Lawes (four for 47) and England speedster Gus Atkinson (three for 53) prominent in ensuring Warwickshire gained a first innings lead of just two.

Surrey were in command by the end of day two at 181 for one, Burns (54) and Sibley having put on 92 before Pope (78) completed his second half-century of the match. The loss of 75 overs to bad weather on day three, and 114 in all, was always likely to make victory for either side difficult.

Sibley had missed the whole of August after suffering a groin strain in the win against Durham and this renewed injury meant he had to retire hurt on 64. But he returned during the final day – when Surrey had lost their sixth wicket, with Burns as his runner – and went on to 103 not out, his fourth century of the campaign.

Burns declared soon after, at 391 for eight, setting Warwickshire a highly unlikely 390 for victory in 76 overs, further rain interrupting as they finished on 105 for one when the teams shook hands on a draw.

Nottinghamshire, who had gone into last week’s round of matches trailing by nine points, cut the deficit to one after a nervy victory by three wickets over Worcestershire at New Road. They have not won the competition since 2010, their sixth success overall but would dearly love to end Surrey’s run of three successive titles (23 outright, one of them shared).

Tom Curran was named in the team for the Nottinghamshire match, in what was his first appearance in a first-class match this year.

Surrey’s Rothesay County Championship campaign will conclude with a trip to play Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl next week.

Surrey have another potential title on their mind going into this week as well – the Second XI Championship, facing Worcestershire in the final at Loughborough from Tuesday to Friday.

They qualified with an exciting 75-run victory over Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl last week, based on a massive 566 for five declared in their first innings. That was built around Oli Hunt (178), Nikhil Gorantla (143) and skipper Adam Thomas (96).

By Richard Spiller