Having accounted for Mark Butcher and Mark Ramprakash relatively cheaply on the first evening, Northamptonshire might have been forgiven for thinking they stood a good chance of limiting Surrey to something close to their own 209 all out. But with old boy Usman Afzaal sharing in stands of 130 and 149, with Jonathan Batty and Ryan Harris, the home side ended day two facing the prospect of an innings defeat.

Afzaal, who knows Wantage Road well, having spent four seasons on Northamptonshire's books, batted through the entire day without giving any more chances. Dropped on 16 just before the close on the first day, the 32-year-old goes into day three with an unbeaten 156 off 352 balls - constructed over seven hours and ten minutes - which has so far included 22 fours and one six.

Resuming on 113-4, the Brown Caps' fifth wicket pair of Afzaal and Batty were one ball away from safely negotiating the opening session, but then Batty, who had become bogged down in the forties, was squared up by David Lucas and caught behind for a determined 48 in 131 deliveries.

Batty had on driven the first ball he received on the second morning for four and, in the day's eighth over, cut Andrew Hall for another boundary before leaving it to Afzaal to take charge. In the next over, Afzaal, on one knee, despatched Johann van der Wath to the rope at cover.

Having just been hit on the shoulder by David Wigley, Afzaal brought up his fifty in 93 deliveries, with a pulled four off the same bowler. Later in the same over he cut a rising ball over the slips for four. That prompted Northants' skipper Nicky Boje to bring on himself and Monty Panesar.

The spin duo got the ball the turn appreciably on occasions, but it was slow turn and Surrey's fifth wicket pair merely opted for watchful consolidation. In the 57th over, Batty went to 40 by rocking back and cutting Boje for four. Afzaal then advanced down the pitch to Panesar, hitting the England slow left-armer over extra cover. Two overs later Afzaal brought up the hundred partnership with a six over long-off.

Batty went off the last ball of the 72nd over. After lunch, Chris Schofield got after Panesar, who, on yesterday's evidence, is far from being close to a return to the international fold. As a result, the home side took the new ball as soon as it became available and nipped out Schofield, who was caught at second slip to give Lucas his third success of the innings.

In came the injured Harris, along with Michael Brown as his runner. Harris immediately went on the offensive, hitting his second ball straight down the ground for four. Scoring the majority of his runs in the area between wide mid-on and extra cover the 29-year-old seemed determined to make the most of what will probably be his last innings for Surrey.

At the other end, Afzaal, having spent an hour in the nineties, brought up his third hundred for the Oval outfit, which came off 233 deliveries, with a quick single that almost saw Brown failing to get to the other end in time.

Perhaps it was because the landmark had come against his former employers, but Afzaal's celebration was noticeably civil. Maybe he was just tired. Other than only being able to stand on one leg, Harris was full of energy. In the second over after tea he reached his half-century off 58 balls with a tenth boundary - a pulled four off Hall.

Afzaal cut the same bowler to the point boundary to post the hundred stand. In the next over Harris flicked Panesar over mid-wicket for six. He then turned on Lucas, whom he struck for three successive boundaries in the 112th over. The first, a pulled four saw Harris equal his career best 74 - which he scored for South Australia against Victoria in January 2007 - and the second, a six over mid-wicket, saw him better it.

When Harris was LBW to Wigley playing across the line for a run-a-ball 94, Surrey needed 13 runs off four overs to register maximum batting points for the first time in seven matches. Their only failing on day two was that they missed out on making it a full hat of bonus points.

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