BATTY AND BROWN GIVE SURREY INITIAL ADVANTAGE by Marcus Hook
Kent v Surrey 261-4.

With Jonathan Batty and Michael Brown combining for Surrey's best opening stand since June 2006 - when Batty and Scott Newman put on 194 against Essex at Whitgift School - the visitors made an encouraging start against the current Division Two leaders at Canterbury. But the hop county managed to fight back on the first evening thanks to Phil Edwards, who took two wickets in the space of seven deliveries without conceding a run to see the back of Batty and Usman Afzaal.

For Batty, who has one more year left to run on his Surrey contract, it was his first championship innings since the announcement that Worcestershire's Steven Davies will be ousting him as the Brown Caps' principal wicketkeeper in 2010. Having made 48 on three occasions this summer, the 35-year-old reached his first half-century of the campaign off 140 balls and was looking good for an eighteenth first-class hundred when he was caught low to the right of Geraint Jones in the 74th over.

Two overs later, Edwards then had Afzaal caught behind, off an inside edge, for just three, to make it 239-4. When play ended at 7.00pm - an hour later than normal due to the due the noon start and a 25-minute delay for rain after lunch - the visitors were looking in better health thanks to an unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 22 between Matthew Spriegel and Mark Ramprakash, who ended the opening day with 41 from 83 deliveries; which included four fours and a six off James Tredwell in the 71st over.

Earlier, after winning the toss and choosing to bat, the Surrey openers made a watchful start, above all against Simon Cook whose initial spell read 6-3-6-0. In the seventh over of the day, Batty drove Amjad Khan on the up through cover for four. Brown's first boundary came two overs later, off his 24th delivery, when a lifting ball from Khan flew to third man.

At lunch, Surrey were 73 without loss. Batty added to his 34 at the break by despatching Cook through cover off the back foot for four. In the 37th over, Brown threw off the shackles by hitting three boundaries in as many deliveries off Tredwell, whom he deposited over long-on for six before cover driving for four.

The hundred partnership arrived later in the same over. Six overs later, Brown went to fifty, in 124 deliveries, with a slog swept boundary off Tredwell. Batty brought up his first fifty in over a year shortly afterwards, when he clipped Justin Kemp to fine leg for four.

In the 46th over, Brown whipped Kemp through the leg-side, before helping him to the third man boundary next ball. Four overs later, Brown brought up the 150-stand by picking Kemp up for a six over deep backward square leg.

Brown eventually perished in the 58th over, when he was caught behind off an effort ball from Khan. Brown's innings off 88 had come from 169 deliveries and it included two sixes and twelve fours.

Batty went to 72 by pulling Cook for four in the next over, but, in the 60th, Stewart Walters was brilliantly caught by Darren Stevens at gully for nought when Khan found some more extra bounce.

At tea, Surrey were 200-2. In the 68th over, Ramprakash hit fours either side of the wicket off Edwards, who then struck in the 74th and 76th overs.

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