Yesterday, seemingly buoyed by their first championship win since September 2007, Surrey made a confident start at Grace Road, where they skittled out Leicestershire for 165 without the aid of a proven seamer. Jade Dernbach, 23, led the way with a career best 6-47, but his new-ball partner, Chris Jordan, 20, made a significant contribution by ripping out the Foxes' middle order to enjoy figures of 3-54. In reply, the Brown Caps have already knocked off 121 for the loss of only one wicket; that of Scott Newman, who, after making an entertaining forty disappointingly holed out to long-on.

The Grace Road pitch does not appear to contain any real demons, but, equally, it is the sort of strip that rewards patience, which Michael Brown and Mark Ramprakash, Surrey's unbeaten second wicket pair, both have in abundance. They have so far put on 63. Brown goes into day two just four runs short of his fifty.

With Andre Nel suffering from a back strain and Ryan Harris back in Australia earlier than anticipated, after tweaking a knee ligament against Northamptonshire last week, the visitors opted to field a three-man seam attack all of whom are yet to reach their twenty-fourth birthday. Again, Pedro Collins, who currently tops Surrey's championship bowling averages, was nowhere to be seen, which does not suggest his mid-season assessment included anything about an extension to his current two-year contract, which runs out at the end of the season.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Leicestershire lost Matthew Boyce in the third over, when the 23-year-old left-hander shouldered arms and lost his off stump to Dernbach. Boyce was followed back to the pavilion by Josh Cobb, who, driving loosely, was caught at second slip. Jordan then got in on the act by having H.D.Ackerman caught behind off an out-swinging delivery.

Before Jim Allenby could trouble the scorers, he was squared up by the Barbadian and caught low down at second slip. Boeta Dippenaar, who struck seven boundaries, including one beautiful cover drive off Jordan for four, went in Murtaza Hussain's first over when he prodded low to Mark Butcher at slip. With no addition to the total, James Taylor fell LBW, playing an indeterminate shot to leg to make it 87-6.

After lunch Dernbach swept the tail aside. In the 35th over, Claude Henderson went fending to the keeper. Four overs later, Jigar Naik was trapped leg before to one that nipped back off the seam and A.J.Harris, wafting in the 43rd, was caught behind off an inside edge. Two overs later, Tom New, who top scored with 44 from 49 deliveries and struck eight fours, was the last man to go when he nibbled at ball angled across him.

Newman got the visitors' response off to a positive start by cover driving Harry Gurney off the back foot for four before flicking the 22-year-old left-arm seamer to the rope at square leg.

After going to tea on 47-0, Newman could not resist coming down the pitch to Henderson and lobbing up a catch Cobb, who held on at deep mid-on. Brown waited for Henderson to drop short, however, and cut the South African slow left-armer for four. Brown also pulled a four off Allenby before advancing toward Henderson and bringing up the hundred for Surrey with another boundary hit.

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