On the day that saw Mark Ramprakash go past 10,000 runs for Surrey and Scott Newman score his 5,000th run in all first-class cricket, of greater significance to the Brown Caps was their gamble on a four-man attack paying off handsomely. Kent were dismissed for comfortably the lowest total against Surrey this term. By the close on day one at Canterbury, the Oval outfit had all but established a first innings lead thanks to half-centuries from the aforementioned Newman and Ramprakash.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, the hosts found themselves four down at lunch, with Chris Jordan marking his first-class debut with the wickets of Martin van Jaarsveld at Matt Walker.

In the eighth over, Joe Denly was defeated by a ball from Jimmy Ormond that nipped back to clip the top of the 21-year-old's off-stump. A stand of 44 for Kent's second wicket followed. van Jaarsveld drove the first ball from Jordan to the extra cover boundary and later hit two fours in an over from Matt Nicholson. But when the total had reached 61, the South African drove loosely at a ball outside off-stump and was caught behind. Minutes later, Walker chipped the teenager to Ramprakash at square leg.

Just before break Harbhajan Singh had Darren Stevens edging a slog-sweep to the wicketkeeper; and not long after it Rob Key was dropped at gully off the bowling of Jordan. Half an hour after lunch Key's fifty arrived in 123 deliveries, but with no further addition to the Kent total Geraint Jones went to a ball which ominously spun and kept low.

The hosts' last five wickets fell in the space of just 30 deliveries, as three batsmen made ducks. James Tredwell was caught down the leg-side after being tucked up by Nicholson. Yasir Arafat, attempting to drive Harbhajan through mid-on on one knee, edged a high catch to slip. Ryan McLaren was leg before first ball. Lasith Malinga appeared to be in at least two minds as he was undone by a full-length delivery from Nicholson and, finally, Martin Saggers was bowled by Harbhajan when the ball spun on to the stumps off a forward prod.

It left Key the first batsman to carry his bat against Surrey since Jason Gallian at Trent Bridge in 2003. The Kent skipper's unbeaten 75 from 176 balls also represented the lowest score by a player carrying his bat against the Oval outfit since Geoff Boycott's 55 for Yorkshire at Bramall Lane in 1985.

In response to hosts' 150 all out, Newman and Ramprakash overcame the early loss of Jonathan Batty, who played around a full-length ball on leg stump in the sixth over to perish leg before to Malinga.

The visitors' second wicket pair combined for 79. Newman, who was particularly strong square of the wicket off Arafat, brought up his first championship half-century since early May in 64 deliveries when he drove Saggers past mid-off for his eighth boundary. With the total on 93, however, the 27-year-old left-hander was lbw to an off stump yorker.

Mark Butcher helped to consolidate his side's position, but, with the close of play looming, the Surrey captain rocked back and edged a lifting ball from Tredwell to the wicketkeeper. The arrival of Ramprakash's fifty was almost immediately tempered by the loss of Stewart Walters to a catch at forward short leg.

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