In the build up to the season Mark Ramprakash warned, in an interview for the ECB website, that one of the challenges facing the Brown Caps would be their ability to adapt to surfaces which are like chalk and to the cheese served up by Bill Gordon, the head groundsman at the Brit Oval. Yesterday at Bath, the former Middlesex man made a consummate 87 not out from 138 balls. Other than Alistair Brown and Rikki Clarke, however, his colleagues failed to apply themselves as Surrey were dismissed for their lowest score in this summer's County Championship. The wickets were shared amongst Willoughby, Caddick and Trego, but thanks to Matthew Wood's first half-century of the season the hosts were firmly in control by the close.

With Somerset's first innings lasting just seven more balls, Surrey's openers were not kept waiting for their chance to bat. Indeed, both were so eager to do get padded up, they had begun exiting the field before the lofted catch offered up by Peter Trego had landed safely in the hands of Alistair Brown.

After Cameron White dropped Scott Newman, on six, in the slips, Newman and Jonathan Batty gave the visitors a decent start to their first dig. But, in the tenth over, Newman was caught low down to the left of second slip for 25. James Hildreth and Charl Willoughby combined again four overs later when Batty perished at short extra cover. Then, immediately after cutting Richard Johnson through cover point for four, Mark Butcher was squared up to leave his side in a spot of bother at 65 for three in the fifteenth over.

Brown joined Ramprakash and proceeded to make a sublime 63 off seventy balls. The 36-year-old raced to 38 off eighteen deliveries and all but three of his runs came from boundaries. The seventeenth over saw him collect four successive fours off Johnson and three overs later he brought up the hundred for the Brown Caps with the second of three boundaries in an over from Andrew Caddick.

Brown reached his fifty in the first over after lunch, but his 106-run alliance in 24 overs with Ramprakash was ended when Caddick had him aiming to leg. Rikki Clarke should have been caught and bowled by Johnson for six, but went on to take four boundaries off Keith Parsons's first over, including a straight six.

But, crucially, Caddick accounted for Clarke and James Benning with successive deliveries. Clarke, cutting, was taken behind and Benning was caught at second slip. Ramprakash then came into his own, making light of a mischievous pitch to hit Caddick over long-off for six and taking advantage of the untenanted third man boundary.

In the space of ten balls, however, 265 for six became 266 all out as Bicknell edged Willoughby on to his stumps, Salisbury was adjudged lbw, Saker was caught at cover point by the substitute fieldsman, Dan Cullen, and Akram became the third batsman in the Surrey innings to depart to the first ball he received.

Neil Saker tried his best to bowl the visitors back into the game with three for 40 from nine overs, but Wood and White, batting with the dislocated finger he picked up when he put down Newman, helped Somerset to 148 for three at the close, a lead of 224. Matthew Wood, who stood firm and reached his half-century off 99 balls, with eight fours, will resume this morning on 51.

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