For Surrey it would seem that the season is a fortnight longer than they would like it to be. A placid looking Canterbury pitch did little to lift their spirits. When Kent won the toss and elected to bat it was if the visitors knew that with depleted, and in some cases creaking resources they were facing a long day in the field.

The expected hiding was duly supplied by Andrew Symonds, though not before David Fulton and Surrey old boy Michael Carberry had put on 160 for the first wicket and seen Kent through to lunch without any mishaps; other than the chance that Fulton gave to Alistair Brown at first slip, off Tim Murtagh, when 15.

It was the third time in as many weeks that Surrey, the rock solid championship favourites a month ago, had not managed a breakthrough in a full session of play. One might be churlish enough to suggest that it is taking too far the concept of making the County Championship more like Test cricket – or to be more precise the English brand of Test cricket.

Scoring at more than four an over, Kent dominated an attack that seemed to bowl more in hope than expectation right from the first ball, which was delivered by Jimmy Ormond, who continues to soldier on despite a sore knee.

Six bowlers were used before lunch. The sorriest looking figures belonged to the Surrey captain, Adam Hollioake, who conceded 29 off three. Carberry, who reached his fifty in 70 deliveries when he pulled Murtagh for his tenth four, traded mainly in square cuts and sweetly-timed drives to be 91 at the end of the morning session. His 17 boundaries at the break comparing favourably to Fulton’s ten.

After lunch Franklyn Rose, who has made a surprise return to county cricket after a successful 1998 season with Northamptonshire, produced the wickets of both openers, caught behind.

Carberry followed the sixth ball of the afternoon, which the West Indian got to lift a bit more, whereas the Kent skipper was merely nibbling when it was not advisable. Alex Loudon then shouldered arms to Murtagh and was lbw to a delivery that held its line. But thanks to Symonds and Matthew Walker, who together added 71 in less than an hour for Kent’s fourth wicket, normal service was resumed.

The duo were only separated when a flurry of boundaries were followed by Walker fending at Rikki Clarke and being caught at first slip. Symonds then shared in a fifth-wicket stand of 106 in 23 overs, either side of tea, with Mark Ealham.

The Queenslander hit the suffering Ormond over long-on, and moved into three figures with a four off Rose to deep square leg. Standing tall, he also cut ferociously and drove powerfully straight down the ground. Ian Salisbury finally had him stumped at the second attempt by Jonathan Batty for 121 off 123 balls. Symonds had not even been at the crease for three hours, yet he had struck 18 fours and a six.

The concluding phase of the day’s play was dominated by Ealham, who made an unbeaten eighty, but the visitors’ cause was hardly helped when Batty gave a reprieve to his opposite number, Geraint Jones.

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