CHRIS Tremlett, the injury-plagued England fast bowler, took 4-35 on his first appearance since joining Surrey from Hampshire as Gloucestershire were dismissed for 229 at the Oval.

Tremlett, pictured right, who missed Surrey's first three Championship matches after suffering a groin strain in pre-season practice, was soon making up for lost time after Jonathan Batty had been caught behind off Iftikhar Anjum in the first over.

He had Hamish Marshall caught at second slip off his second ball and Alex Gidman caught at square leg in his next over before James Franklin joined Chris Dent in a fourth-wicket stand of 48.

Dent was lbw to Gareth Batty, then Tremlett struck again by claiming Chris Taylor lbw and when Franklin was also lbw to Iftikhar, Gloucestershire were struggling at 102-6.

It was 127-7 when Jon Lewis was picked up off bat and pad at short leg off Chris Schofield but wicketkeeper Steve Snell, playing as a batsman, put a brave face on it and found a determined partner in Vikram Banerjee.

They had put on 52 and Snell had made 48 off 68 balls with seven fours when he was caught behind driving at Stuart Meaker.

Tremlett was being used in short spells, and when he returned for a fifth time, after tea, he picked up his fourth wicket by pinning Gemaal Hussain leg before.

That gave him his best return since he took 5-67 for Hampshire against Surrey at the Rose Bowl in May 2008, but he was to be denied a fifth wicket by a last-wicket stand of 42 between Banerjee and Steve Kirby.

Kirby hit a six and two fours on his way to a defiant, unbeaten 20 and Banerjee had made a gallant 35 when he was lbw to Schofield.

Gareth Batty was pressed into service as an opening batsman because Stewart Walters has a back injury, and when Surrey went in with 14 overs remaining he made a good fist of it, sharing in an opening partnership of 52 with Arun Harinath.

Batty had made 31, including six fours, when he was bowled by Hussain in the penultimate over, whereupon Tremlett completed a decent day's work by going in as nightwatchman and seeing Surrey to 56-1 by the close of play.