It has not gone according to plan in so many ways for Surrey this season. Jonathan Batty has not had any success opening the innings – keeping wicket and being captain to boot has no doubt played its part – and Alistair Brown has dropped down from five to six in order to give him more exposure to the ageing ball. With Adam Hollioake due to pack away his pads for good in September, perhaps yesterday saw the first significant chapter being penned by the Ovalites’ new-look middle order.

Both batsmen have been irritated by their indifferent form this year and how they took out their frustrations on Gloucestershire’s bowlers who, with the exception of their new-ball pair, looked a combination of friendly seam and innocuous spin. Ian Fisher completed his alternative hundred shortly after Batty’s departure in the 83rd over. James Averis – who was taken for twenty in one over by Brown – was close to reaching his when bad light intervened with sixteen overs remaining in the day’s play.

Alistair Brown ended with an unbeaten 131 off 173 balls, including 15 fours and four sixes. The second of three off the hapless Fisher, a tracer bullet over extra cover, brought up the 34-year-old’s half-century in 70 deliveries as well as the hundred stand, which required just 21 overs. Brown’s hundred, reached in the over before tea off 127 balls and greeted with a roar of approval from the home crowd, was his first century in all competitions since the final championship game of 2002.

The visitors opened up after tea with five men back on the rope to Fisher, but that did not prevent the Surrey captain reaching three figures off 156 deliveries with a cover driven four off the former Yorkshire slow left-armer.

Batty, who took 24 balls getting off the mark, made 106 in 164 deliveries, including 15 fours and a huge straight six off the bowling of Fisher. His cutting just after lunch was full of precision and, once established, the 30-year-old tested the swiftness of the outfield on both sides of the wicket.

So, the case for the Surrey captain going at five was also proved beyond all reasonable doubt yesterday. Opening the batting his championship average this season is 12.66. As a middle order batsman, however, Batty has now struck 353 runs in three completed innings.

Jonathan Batty and Alistair Brown’s fifth-wicket partnership of 243 in fifty overs was the highest for any wicket enjoyed by the Oval outfit in the County Championship this summer. The previous best of 231 also involved Batty, when he forged a match-winning fourth-wicket alliance with Mark Ramprakash against Kent at The Oval.

Earlier in the day Scott Newman outshone Ramprakash in a 62-run second wicket stand, to which the former Middlesex man contributed just five – a clipped four off his first ball and a single off his 33rd – before steering Jon Lewis to gully.

Newman made a sumptuous 73 in 89 deliveries and appeared to be on course for his third century of the summer when the he gave it away, driving to mid-on.

Rikki Clarke, who was dropped by Adshed off the bowling of Lewis when he had four to his name, went on to post an attractive 43 off 49 balls before presenting the Gloucestershire wicketkeeper with a rather more difficult chance to make amends.

GO TO:

BACK TO: