JONATHAN BATTY wrote his name into the record books at the Oval yesterday as Surrey headed towards their first victory of the championship this season, against Kent. Surrey have yet to undo Robert Key. He could add only eight to his overnight 78 as Kent folded, but came out and stroked a beautiful, chanceless, unbeaten 134 when they followed on.

Batty, the Surrey captain who has spent most of this season looking embattled, has grown in stature on each day of this match and became only the second wicketkeeper in first-class history to score a hundred and take eight catches in an innings in the same match, matching the feat of Steve Marsh, for Kent, at Lord’s in 1991.

Batty, who caught the first five batsmen out on Wednesday, moved easily to his right to catch Mohammad Sami, the last man, off Martin Bicknell to ensure Kent followed on. In doing so, he bettered Arnold Long’s Surrey record of seven catches against Sussex at Hove in 1964.

It is only the third time a wicketkeeper has achieved eight dismissals in an innings in the Championship after Marsh and David East, of Essex, in 1985. It is only the eighth time it has happened in first-class cricket, including two instances of nine in an innings.

Batty has shown his steel in this match that should end Surrey’s sequence of nine Championship matches without a victory. He may have been underestimated, even in his own dressing-room, but you can tell a lot more about a man when he is under fire and there should be no issue of the new Surrey captain commanding respect now.

Batty does not seem to be on England’s radar and at 30 years of age he is not one of the young bucks waiting behind Geraint Jones and Chris Read, but he is a genuine all-rounder.

Most of his catches were relatively simple as they often are when the ball is swinging. But he is a tidy wicketkeeper and has dealt with standing up to Saqlain Mushtaq, who would have been useful yesterday, but will be out for at least another three weeks with his knee injury.

Kent lasted only 15 overs and added only 58 to their overnight 181 for five. Key inside-edged a drive off Bicknell and the rest followed meekly to Rikki Clarke and Bicknell, who took four in the day to finish one short of 1,000 first-class wickets.

Kent followed on 240 behind and were soon in trouble when David Fulton, their captain, middled one straight to mid-wicket. Ed Smith continued his miserable run when he played on and Matthew Walker was legbefore offering no stroke.

Key’s cover driving on the up against Jimmy Ormond was a joy to watch. His fifty came at a run-per-ball and then he dropped anchor, taking another 105 to reach his his fifth first-class hundred of the season in his tenth innings.

Key and Carberry, who was dropped badly at second slip on nine by Azhar Mahmood, put on 126 in 56 overs, but Carberry edged Ormond, in his second over of off breaks, to slip 25 minutes before the close.