Tom Lawes emerged as Surrey's hero on the final day, taking four wickets for 26 runs to bowl Essex out for 215 and secure a 145-run win at the Kia Oval, extending Surrey's lead at the top of the Vitality County Championship table.
Dean Elgar's resilient 60 provided some resistance, but Surrey's fast bowlers chipped away consistently after morning rain cleared. The 21-year-old Lawes was instrumental, taking two wickets in consecutive balls and returning after tea to dismiss Paul Walter and Michael Pepper, breaking Essex's fightback.
Surrey's 20-point victory, their sixth in nine Division One matches this season, was achieved with 25.5 overs remaining, keeping them on track for a third consecutive championship title. Jordan Clark supported Lawes with three wickets for 56 runs, while Dan Worrall contributed two for 71.
Second-placed Essex faced a significant disadvantage, effectively playing with ten men due to Jordan Cox's early exit on day one because of illness. Cox, who later had an appendectomy, couldn't be replaced by another batsman, putting Essex at a considerable disadvantage on a seam-friendly pitch.
Essex resumed their second innings at 21 for two, with survival as their primary aim rather than chasing the 361-run target. A two-hour weather interruption early in the day helped their cause, with only 13 balls bowled initially. After an early lunch, Elgar and Tom Westley added 69 for the third wicket before Lawes's introduction shifted the momentum in Surrey's favour.
Lawes had Elgar dropped early at second slip but soon dismissed both Westley and Matt Critchley, with Ben Foakes taking good catches behind the stumps. This left Essex reeling at 86 for four, with Lawes on a hat-trick, which Elgar denied by scoring a three to complete his half-century.
Despite Lawes's damaging six-over spell, which yielded two for 18, Essex continued to struggle. Worrall returned to dismiss Elgar, and after tea, Lawes removed Pepper and Walter, leaving Essex at 194 for seven.
Simon Harmer resisted bravely but was eventually caught behind off Worrall. Shane Snater was pinned lbw by Clark, wrapping up Surrey's victory.
The match saw a ground record attendance for a Surrey championship fixture this century, with 13,706 spectators, significantly boosted by 6,300 attendees on day one, supporting the club's Festival of Red Ball Cricket initiative.