Steven Davies's first championship hundred since April last year put Surrey firmly in control on day two Grace Road. His 121, which included 18 fours, was the fulcrum of the visitors' 343. He then followed that up with two catches before the close to help reduce Leicestershire to 66-2, which leaves them needing a further 110 runs to make Surrey bat again.

With the Oval outfit resuming on 122-2, Davies picked up where he left off the night before by despatching Nathan Buck for two fours in the third over of the day, both of which bisected the bowler and mid-off.

Zander de Bruyn played one memorable drive through square leg off Matthew Hoggard before becoming Rob Taylor's first scalp in championship cricket - the South African, driving on one knee, playing on for 31.

In the 43rd over, Davies took Surrey level with Leicestershire's first innings total of 167 by helping Taylor to rope at fine leg, then driving the 21-year-old through extra cover for four.

With Tom Maynard punching Taylor straight to extra cover, Jason Roy joined forces with Davies to take Surrey up to 237-4 at lunch.

Claude Henderson's first over of the day, the 54th, saw Roy dance down the wicket and deposit the veteran slow left-armer on the pavilion roof.

Shortly before the break Davies moved to his hundred, which came off 196 balls, courtesy of a lapse at cover by Shiv Thakor off the bowling of Jigar Naik, whom he then drove through the off-side off the back foot for his 16th boundary.

Seven overs into the afternoon session Davies cut Henderson for four, only to perish to a catch at backward point for 121, attempting to repeat the dose. His ninth first-class hundred lasted 262 minutes and came from 218 deliveries.

With Roy seemingly on course for a half-century, if not a hundred of his own, the trap set by Henderson at long-on paid dividends.

Leicestershire took the second new ball as soon as it became available, but put it to poor use. Chris Jordan pulled Hoggard to the rope at mid-wicket and Gareth Batty cut Buck for two consecutive fours as 23 runs came off the first two overs with the new cherry.

Jordan, pulling again, gifted his wicket to Buck in the 86th over. Two overs later, Thakor pinned Stuart Meaker and Tim Linley on the crease with successive deliveries to make it 325-9.

With Pragyan Ohja, on 3, being put down at first slip, off the bowling of Taylor, some forceful batting from Batty almost brought the visitors a fourth batting point. But, in the 93rd over, Taylor picked up figures of 3-53 when he had the former England off-spinner caught down the leg-side.

Just as he had done in Leicestershire's first dig, Matthew Boyce was caught behind off Linley in the fifth over, though not before Will Jefferson, on 11, had been claimed at second slip off a no-ball from Jordan.

Following two stoppages for bad light, Greg Smith, driving forcefully, was caught behind off Batty to leave the hosts with a mountain to climb to save the game.

GO TO:

BACK TO: