Brit Oval (Day one of four; Surrey won toss)

Surrey 256 for 2 (MR Ramprakash 133 not out, JN Batty 96 not out) v Sussex

Lunch

Alex Tudor, the former England fast bowler who was released by Surrey in 2004, was a surprise inclusion in the team that is struggling at the bottom of the first division after rejoining them on loan from Essex.

He saw Surrey, without a win in 11 games, make another poor start. Stewart Walters edged Jason Lewry to second slip in the third over and then, after a 25-minute break for rain, Scott Newman could not cope with a lifting ball from Lewry and was caught behind.

Mark Ramprakash, who followed his 100th first-class hundred with an unbeaten double century, again looked in prime form, however, and was unbeaten on 31 at lunch.

Tea

Ollie Rayner, the Sussex off-spinner, kept Ramprakash quiet for a while after lunch but once he had passed fifty off 100 balls with eight fours, the master batsman reasserted himself with a brutal assault on the medium pace of Michael Thornely in an over that cost 16 runs.

Batty survived a sharp chance to Carl Hopkinson at slip off Rayner when he had made 42 and went on to reach his fifty off 149 balls with six fours.

It looked ominous for Sussex when Corey Collymore, the former West Indies fast bowler, appeared to twist his knee fielding at backward point and left the field. Their resources were beginning to look thin by tea when the third wicket partnership was worth 138 in 53 overs.

Close

Ramprakash appeared to be moving serenely towards his 102nd first-class century but when he had reached 95 he became involved in a furious argument with Murray Goodwin, Sussex’s former Zimbabwe batsman, who had apparently complained about him running on the pitch.

Rob Bailey and John Steele, the umpires, had to calm Ramprakash down and Michael Yardy, Sussex’s stand-in captain, ushered Goodwin away before Ramprakash duly completed his 10th hundred against Sussex off 173 balls with a six and 13 fours.

By the time bad light stopped play, he had moved on to 133, Batty was unbeaten on 96 and between them they had put on 216 in 77 overs for the third wicket.