Ruthless Surrey wasted no time in despatching Yorkshire at the Kia Oval – with their exciting crop of youngsters heading the charge.

England captain Joe Root, leading the visitors in the absence of unwell Gary Ballance, was powerless to prevent his side being hammered by an innings and 17 runs just 44 minutes into the final day of the Specsavers County Championship first division clash. It was Surrey’s first win over the white rose county since 2002, despite losing much of the second day to rain.

At the forefront was Sam Curran, who claimed the first 10-wicket haul of his career. The 19-year-old was presented with his county cap after taking 6-54 in the first innings – a haul which saw him reach 100 first-class wickets, the fifth youngest to do so in the history of the club. The left-arm seamer’s 4-47 in the second, including three wickets in six balls, hurried Yorkshire’s demise as he sent stumps cartwheeling.

Curran’s victims included Root in the first innings, while in the second the England skipper, looking to find form before the start of the Test series against Pakistan, joined the list of illustrious scalps gained by Curran’s fellow 19-year-old, Amar Virdi.

The off-spinner barely got a look-in as Yorkshire were bustled out for 229 in the first innings, leaving them 190 adrift of the hosts and forced to follow on.

But Virdi’s drift enticed Root forward in the second innings, bowling him through the gate, ex-Test opener Adam Lyth edged to slip and England U19 Harry Brook was another victim.

Inserted on the first day, Surrey had been trouble at 69-4, but owed their eventual riches of 414 all out initially to the resistance of South African left-hander Dean Elgar (61).

It was Ollie Pope who dominated the innings, though, with an unbeaten 158, his third Championship century in just 10 first-class games and more evidence of his great promise.

Confronted by an experienced attack which featured Tim Bresnan (3-98) and Steve Patterson (3-107), Pope showed his outstanding temperament and ability to play the ball late, while his seventh-wicket alliance of 129 in 29 overs with Rikki Clarke (71) swayed the match irretrievably Surrey’s way.

Since returning to his native county midway through last season, Clarke has become a pivotal figure and a banker with the ball. At 36, he is playing some of the most vibrant cricket of his career. It was his breakthrough early on the final morning, having Jonny Bairstow caught behind, which set the tone as Surrey would not have wanted the England wicketkeeper to repeat the magnificent strokeplay which had earned him 95 in the first innings and leave them with a potentially tricky fourth-innings chase.

Clarke had the final word, too, trapping Jack Leaning leg-before to finish off Yorkshire for 168. It was Surrey’s second win in four matches, leaving then third in the table.

Now with a three-week break in the Championship, Surrey’s 50-over Royal London Cup campaign starts at home to Somerset on Friday, followed by Monday’s clash with Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.