Stand-in skipper Jonathan Batty has warned Surrey must string a succession of good sessions together to beat the drop from Liverpool Victoria County Championship Division One this summer.

The 34-year-old - the county's third captain this season - watched his patched-up side slip to a third defeat in four first-class encounters with a 10-wicket humbling to new league leaders Durham at Guildford.

The Brown Caps are now rooted to the foot of the table and are without a championship win all year with captain Mark Butcher sidelined and his replacement Mark Ramprakash suffering a bout gastroenteritis.

Ramprakash returned to action against Yorkshire on Saturday, but couldn't prevent an 11-run defeat to kick off their Pro 40 Division Two campaign in miserable fashion.

And Clapham-based Batty reckons they must become more consistent on an hour-by-hour basis to avoid slipping in to the second tier of county cricket in both competitions.

"We've played well at times, but when we lose a session we lose it really badly. That has been the story of our season," he said.

"We either go out and lose seven or eight wickets when we are batting, or go for 160 or 170 runs and drop one or two catches when we field.

"It is individual sessions that are hurting us. We might win the other two in a day, but we are not winning them convincingly enough to claw it back."

Epsom's Scott Newman finally broke his century drought with a first three figure haul for 15-months in his side's disappointing first innings 220 all-out at Guildford that formed the basis of defeat.

But the 28-year-old opener reserved praise for team mate and Banstead Cricket Club star Matt Spriegel, who's patient 35 on the opening day of the match helped Newman to 113 - his highest score of the summer.

"It was very pleasing to finally get a hundred, but it was an indifferent day for the team," added Newman.

"Matt batted very well for his 30-odd. He showed some good fight out there and showed a lot of promise."