RECORD gate receipts for the Nevill Ground were produced when almost 9,000 people saw Kent’s championship victory against Lancashire last year and another healthy number have been in attendance here.

Outground county cricket remains more popular than some critics will admit and the compelling contest yesterday between Rikki Clarke and Min Patel, with Alistair Brown also delighting and both Robert Key and David Fulton unfurling some beautiful strokes on a glorious evening, made for far more attractive entertainment — in every sense — than that being served up at Lord’s.

Patel, the left-arm spinner who has survived knee reconstructions and a back operation in 2003, looks to be bowling as well as ever as his 35th birthday approaches. He was rewarded yesterday with his best figures since August 2001 and it took fine batting from Clarke and Brown to deny him an even better return on a pitch offering slow turn.

Kent seemed to be in total command by mid-morning as Patel outfoxed Scott Newman and Mark Ramprakash and Martin Saggers dipped one through the defences of Richard Clinton, the left-handed opener, during a stout-hearted initial burst lasting ten overs.

From 67 for three, however, Surrey were themselves propelled into a position of strength by the elegant strokeplay and clean striking of Clarke, still just 23, and the support he received first from Jon Batty and then from the lordly Brown. At 273 for four, it was within Surrey’s gift to bat Kent right out of things, but Patel’s patience and persistence paid off, while the part-time but rapidly improving medium pace of Darren Stevens also occupied centre stage.

Earlier Patel had drawn Newman down the pitch to be stumped at Niall O’Brien’s leisure, before turning a looping delivery just enough to have Ramprakash taken in the gully. Batty’s gritty innings had been ended by a thin edge and, after Stevens had tempted Brown into spearing a catch to point, Patel took three more wickets in four overs. James Benning was leg-before and Clarke, inexplicably, lost his head and holed out to long on after hitting 17 fours.

Martin Bicknell followed, bowled around his legs, and Stevens finished off the tail for a career-best analysis.