It has been more than a year since Mark Butcher's last first-class appearance. To have come back from two major operations to his left knee is an achievement in itself, but to make a fluent 65 after losing the toss and being inserted on damp pitch underlines just how much Surrey have been crying out for him to return. In the twelve championship matches the 36-year-old has been forced to sit-out, the Brown Caps have been dismissed for less than 270 in their first innings on six occasions.

When he last batted on this ground, in the closing weeks of the 2001 season, Butcher made 230 as Surrey racked up a mammoth 701 in reply to Glamorgan's 258; which riled the home crowd, for the visitors' decision to bat out for a draw was wholly unjustified. But there were no dissenting voices yesterday, when the Brown Caps' skipper's return to the county game was warmly applauded in the twelfth over.

Butcher came in with his side 58-2. Over the next 32 overs he dominated the 98-run stand for Surrey's third wicket. Butcher opened his account with a two, which came after he was forced to dig out a full-length delivery from Garnett Kruger, who has had his own knee problems to contend with of late. But when the South African dragged the ball down later in the same over, Butcher despatched it to the backward point boundary.

Four overs later the former England left-hander went to fifteen by driving Kruger through extra cover for four then cutting him for another boundary. Mark Cosgrove's medium pace was treated with equal disdain as Butcher took successive fours off the Australian all-rounder. Perhaps feeling as though he should also assert himself, Mark Ramprakash then drove James Harris to the rope at cover before, with soft hands, angling Cosgrove to third man for four to bring up the hundred for the Brown Caps.

In the thirtieth over Butcher brought up the fifty partnership with another cut, this time off Harris, but before the 19-year-old could get back to the end of his run-up the heavens opened, which resulted in a delay of two hours and twenty minutes; during which tea was taken.

After the resumption the Surrey captain went to a 67-ball half-century with his ninth four, a pull off Kruger. Ramprakash's fifty was much more watchful, coming in the 45th over off 130 deliveries, though not before Butcher had been pinned on the crease by Adam Shantry to become the day's third LBW victim.

Earlier, after the start of play had been put back to 1.10pm, Scott Newman perished to the sixth ball of the match. But Michael Brown and Ramprakash quickly made amends by putting on 58 for the second wicket in just eleven overs. Brown was the first to find the boundary, when he drove Shantry past Jamie Dalrymple at mid-on in the fourth over.

Ramprakash then pulled Harris to the fence at long leg. Four overs later Brown despatched the same bowler square of the wicket for successive boundaries. Before the over was out Ramprakash latched on to another short delivery, but then it was Brown's turn to be shown the dreaded finger.

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