TEN DOESCHATE LEADS ESSEX FIGHTBACK by Marcus Hook
Surrey v Essex 317-7.

Essex were indebted to Ryan ten Doeschate's first championship hundred in just over a year on day one at Woodbridge Road. When the Netherlands all-rounder came to the crease in the 42nd over, his side were struggling at 116-5. But thanks to the 29-year-old forging alliances with James Foster and Graham Napier, the visitors were 317-7 at stumps and probably the more contented of the two sides. Ten Doeschate has so far faced 150 balls and struck eleven boundaries in his unbeaten 105.

Surrey, led for the first time in the County Championship by Stewart Walters, enjoyed the early running and looked markedly keener in the field. Jade Dernbach made the initial breakthrough when Varun Chopra pushed forward to the last ball of the fourth over and, by dint of offering no stroke, was adjudged lbw. Hashim Amla flicked the 23-year-old through backward square leg for four before despatching him to the cover boundary two overs later.

Nel's opening spell of 8-2-14-0 would have been even more respectable had John Maunders not pulled him for six in the fifteenth over. Following a change of ends, Dernbach was cut for four by Amla. But the introduction of Jordan saw the prolific South African caught behind for just 26 off the West Indian's second ball. Maunders then departed in similar fashion to the 20-year-old's ninth.

With the visitors resuming after lunch at 72-3 off 27 overs, neither Matt Walker nor Mark Pettini could find the boundary for more than half an hour. The deadlock was finally broken when the Essex skipper angled Jordan past backward point. But, two overs later, Jordan struck for a third time when Pettini appeared to be taken by surprise by a tad more bounce.

Walker despatched Tim Linley for two off-side boundaries in the 40th over. Not to be outdone, Foster slapped Nel through extra cover for four before cover driving his former team-mate over cover for six in the next. But then Linley picked up his first championship wicket when Walker, shouldering arms, gloved the ball to Batty to give the 35-year-old his fourth catch in succession.

Had Chris Schofield held on to a low catch at first slip off Nel it would have been 119-6 with ten Doeschate back in the dressing room with just three against his name. The Dutchman was also reprieved on 30, when Batty spilt a routine chance off Dernbach. Five overs later, ten Doeschate moved to a 56-ball half-century with an on driven four off Schofield.

Foster pulled the first ball after tea for four and later in the same over despatched Jordan to the cover boundary. But Nel, bowling off a shorter run, drew a line under Foster and ten Doeschate's 98-run partnership in 24 overs when the former England wicketkeeper carved a long-hop straight to Chris Murtagh at backward point. Foster's 48 had come off 80 deliveries.

But with Napier picking up were Foster left off, a further 83 were added in 22 overs for the seventh wicket. Ten Doeschate moved into the nineties in the 87th over when he cover drove Dernbach for four and then flicked him to rope at deep square leg. Three overs later ten Doeschate brought up his century in 140 deliveries when he pulled Schofield for four; though not before Napier had been brilliantly caught at short extra cover for an 84-ball 43 to give Linley a second success.

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