Kumar Sangakkara gave another batting master-class as he rattled off a Surrey record fifth consecutive Specsavers County Championship century in the top-of-the-Division One match at Chelmsford. In the process of adding 177 not out to the recent sequence of 136,105, 114 and 120, the veteran Sri Lankan went past 1,000 runs in English cricket before the end of May across the Championship and Royal London Cup. He also took his red-ball average this summer to a Bradmanesque 109.86.

Only once did Sangakkara, who batted in a sweater despite the sweltering heat, look in the least discomforted and that in hitting the four with which he reached his fifty. He chopped the delivery from Neil Wagner over the slips where Alastair Cook got both hands to the ball, but it was no more than a valedictory wave as it raced to the boundary.

Sangakkara, who retires at the end of the season, put on 191 in 57 overs with Sam Curran to post a sixth-wicket record for Surrey against Essex. More importantly, in the context of the match, it rescued Surrey from the depths of 31 for five. Curran, who is not 19 until next Saturday, departed soon after tea for 90, but not before he had cleared the ropes on two occasions in an innings that showed great maturity.

Sangakkara had arrived in the middle with Surrey reduced to nine for two in the fourth over. By the close he had batted for 276 balls and revised his highest Championship total for Surrey. Essex’s opening bowlers were almost unplayable in the first hour. Matt Quinn picked up three wickets in 13 balls before Jamie Porter joined the party with two as Surrey lost half their side by the 11th over. And that after stand-in captain Rory Burns had decided to bat in what eventually turned out to be ideal conditions. Quinn struck with his third ball of the day, Mark Stoneman getting the thickest of thick edges to give Simon Harmer the catch at second slip.

Burns became Quinn’s 100th first-class victim when Dan Lawrence took a flying catch above his head in the gulley. Number 101 duly arrived in the next over as Scott Borthwick gave a routine edge to wicketkeeper James Foster, at which point Quinn had three for 12. Porter was soon in on the act, his sheer pace arrowing through Dom Sibley’s defences.Porter’s second was not long in arriving, Ben Foakes dragging the ball on to his stumps. Then Sangakkara, took over centre stage and changed the game completely. He showed great patience at the start and then cut loose.

The Sri Lankan welcomed back Porter for his second spell by swivelling in the crease and turning the ball firmly through midwicket. He later drove Wagner’s first ball after lunch straight for four before striking Porter through the covers to bring up the fifty partnership inside 20 overs. Sangakkara’s eighth four brought up his own fifty from 84 balls, and he followed that by hammering Porter through mid-off for another boundary. When Harmer dropped one short he almost had his hand taken off as he tried to stop a lofted drive that also went for four. The pair brought up the century stand in 32 overs, of which Curran contributed just 29.

The landmark passed, Curran went into overdrive and deposited Ravi Bopara over midwicket for six amid a rampage during which Bopara’s four-over spell went for 33. Curran reached his two-paced fifty from 103 balls before lifting Harmer over long leg for a second maximum. Sangakkara’s sixth century of the season in all competitions duly arrived when he drove Wagner straight past the bowler for his 13th boundary. At that stage he had batted for 174 balls.

The partnership was finally broken shortly after tea when Curran’s eyes lit up as he bounced down the wicket, missed the ball from Harmer and turned to see Foster whipping off the bails. Curran departed six shy of his career-best, having hit 12 fours and two sixes from 164 balls. The elder Curran, Tom, followed soon after, caught at cover by Nick Browne off Bopara for 86 runs less than his brother. But the hard-hitting Stuart Meaker arrived to take the shine off the new-ball and help Sangakkara put on an unbroken stand of 95. A scampered single off Quinn took Sangakkara to a 247-ball 150 with 19 fours. The statistics just kept coming.

Sam Curran, who shared a record 191 stand with Kumar Sangakkara, said of Surrey’s early collapse: “It was one of those days where you nick balls where on another day you play and miss. Sanga just came up to me and said we’ve got to dig in and take 20 minutes at a time. “I didn’t expect I’d be in that early especially after winning the toss. But fair play to the Essex guys, they looked to bowl at the top of the stumps and made a good pitch look like a bowler’s pitch. “It was one of those wickets that if you dig in can become quite flat. Fair play to Ports and Quinn, but hopefully tomorrow our bowlers can do the same. “But again Sanga saved us. It’s only about my third or fourth time batting with him n four-day cricket. He will be missed when he goes. It was incredible batting with him. To be 31 for five and then 334 for seven at the end, we would have taken that at 11.30. “But that is the best time to score runs: when the team needs you.” Curran departed on 90 going for a third six and admitted: “It was a shame to miss out on a ton, but the main thing is we finished a good day. It is one of those where earlier in the innings I went down the track and hit him for six, but this time it didn’t come off.”

Essex’s Matt Quinn struck with three early wickets, but said: “It was a strange day. Having them 31 for five, things felt really good. The overhead conditions with the sun definitely played their part, but as the ball got softer it got easier to bat. But you can’t take anything away from Kumar, he is a fantastic batsman. “We know the first hour here, regardless of the wicket, it always seems to do a little bit. That is what I’m told by the senior players, and so far it seems to be true. Full credit to Sanga, he batted fantastically well. 334 for seven makes it a 50-50 game going into Day Two.” When he accounted for Rory Burns, it was Quinn’s 100th first-class wicket. He said: “It was lovely to get the milestone and get it knocked off.”

TEA REPORT

Kumar Sangakkara rattled off his record fifth Specsavers County Championship century in a row to rescue Surrey from the depths of 31 for five in the top-of-the-table match at Chelmsford. In the process of going to tea on 108 not out, Sangakkara went past 1,000 runs in English cricket this summer in both the Championship and Royal London Cup. He did, however, survive a chance to Alastair Cook when reaching his fifty. With Sam Curran (82 not out), he had put on an unbroken 179 for the sixth wicket in 53 overs to wipe away memories of the carnage in the first hour when Matt Quinn and Jamie Porter shared the five wickets to fall. Sangakkara had been watchful before lunch, but cut loose afterwards. He drove Neil Wagner’s first ball after lunch straight for four before striking Porter through the covers to bring up the fifty partnership with Curran inside 20 overs. Sangakkara’s eighth four brought up his own fifty from 84 balls, but it had an element of fortune about it. Cook, in the slips, got both hands to the ball from Wagner, but could not prevent it racing away. Soon after Simon Harmer dropped one short and almost had his hand taken off as he tried to stop a lofted drive that went for four. The pair brought up the century stand in 32 overs, of which Curran contributed just 29. The landmark passed, Curran went into overdrive and deposited Ravi Bopara over midwicket for six amid a flurry during which Bopara’s four overs went for 33. Curran reached his two-paced fifty from 103 balls before lifting Harmer over long leg for a second maximum. Sangakkara’s latest century – a Surrey record for consecutive three-figure scores – came up shortly before tea when he drove Wagner straight past the bowler for his 13th boundary. He had batted for 174 balls.

LUNCH REPORT

Matt Quinn took three wickets in 13 balls to blast a huge hole in Surrey’s top order in the top of the Specsavers County Championship match at Chelmsford. The New Zealand-born seamer took wickets in each of his first three overs to reduce Surrey to 16 for three after they won the toss and opted to bat. Jamie Porter weighed in with two quick wickets and Surrey had lost half the side for 31. By lunch, Kumar Sangakkara and Sam Curran had restored some order with a dogged sixth-wicket stand to take Surrey to 67 for five. Quinn struck with his third ball of the day, Mark Stoneman getting the thickest of thick edges to give Simon Harmer the catch at second slip. This after the first ball of the overs had been despatched to the boundary. Rory Burns, deputising as captain in the absence of Gareth Batty, who has a toe injury, had gone for a contested toss. He was Quinn’s second wicket, Dan Lawrence taking a flying catch above his head in the gulley. It was Quinn’s 100th first-class wicket. Number 101 duly arrived in the next over as Scott Borthwick gave a routine edge to wicketkeeper James Foster, playing his first Championship match of the season. At that point Quinn had three for 12. Jamie Porter was soon in on the act, his sheer pace arrowing through Dom Sibley’s defences. Porter’s second was not long in arriving, Ben Foakes dragging the ball on to his stumps. Sangakkara welcomed back Porter for his second spell by swivelling in the crease and turning the ball through midwicket for only his fourth boundary in 80 minutes’ batting.

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