A MAGNIFICENT innings of power and panache by Alistair Brown helped Surrey to overturn the form book and the totesport League second division table as they staged a superb fightback to win only their fifth match this season.

The Surrey batsman joined Mark Ramprakash, his captain, in the seventeenth over with Surrey in trouble at 65 for three. He raced to his halfcentury off 30 balls and his century — his thirteenth in this competition — was brought up 27 balls later with a straight six off Dinesh Mongia.

The Foxes were made to work hard for their runs as Ramprakash constantly shuffled his six-man attack. Surrey started thrillingly as Stewart Walker, 22, playing in his third first-team match, took a brilliant diving catch at square leg off a firmly-hit pull from Darren Maddy. By the halfway point the Foxes had scored 85 for three, but H. D. Ackerman’s determined 78 and Paul Nixon’s fearless batting in the final five overs gave them a competitive total.

Surrey’s line-up was selected with an eye on the future and Walters, batting at No 3 ahead of Brown and Ramprakash, relished the challenge. He lived dangerously, occasionally swiping at balls outside off stump, and fell for 24, a victim of his own exuberance and an excellent catch at mid-wicket from Maddy.

That brought together Brown and Ramprakash for the match’s decisive partnership. While the captain rode his luck — he was dropped at short fine leg and holed out at long-on but Aftab Habib stepped over the line in taking the catch — Brown’s undefeated 108 was faultless.

LEICESTERSHIRE

T J New c Brown b Doshi 29
D L Maddy c Walters b Azhar 11
*H D Ackerman c Ramprakash b Doshi 78
D Mongia c Salisbury b Azhar 0
A Habib c Benning b Saker 52
† P A Nixon not out 47
J N Snape not out 25
Extras (lb 4, w 10, nb 2) 16
Total (5 wkts, 45 overs) 258
O D Gibson, D S Brignull, C W Henderson and C M Willoughby did not bat.

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-16, 2-81, 3-85, 4-163, 5-206.

BOWLING: Azhar 9-0-39-2; Murtagh 9-2-52-0; Saker 6-0-38-1; Benning 5-0-35-0; Doshi 9-0-43-2; Salisbury 7-0-47-0.

SURREY

J G E Benning c Nixon b Gibson 7
J N Batty c Mongia b Willoughby 21
S J Walters c Maddy b Brignull 24
*M R Ramprakash c Nixon b Willoughby 69
A D Brown not out 108
Azhar Mahmood not out 22
Extras (lb 3, w 5) 8
Total (4 wkts, 39.3 overs) 259
R Clarke, I D K Salisbury, T J Murtagh, N D Doshi and N C Saker did not bat.

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-26, 2-44, 3-65, 4-231.

BOWLING: Gibson 7-0-44-1; Willoughby 9-1-36-2; Brignull 4-0-22-1; Maddy 4.3-0-27-0; Mongia 6-0-52-0; Snape 4-0-34-0; Henderson 5-0-41-0.

Umpires: G I Burgess and N J Llong.