It was Gloucestershire who enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges on the first day of their LV= County Championship trip to the Oval, which ended with the visitors 171-4 in reply to Surrey's 225 all out.

Had it not been for a responsible 66 in 90 deliveries from Zander de Bruyn, the hosts might already be ruing their decision to serve up a green pitch. The South African found useful lower-order allies in Yasir Arafat and Jade Dernbach. But when the clouds dispersed the Gloucestershire batsmen, led by Chris Taylor, were duly rewarded for demonstrating far greater resolve.

Having been put in, Surrey chose to adopt a positive approach against the moving ball. Rory Hamilton-Brown perished in the third over, when he attempted to clip Jon Lewis through mid-wicket. However, an entertaining stand of 57 in twelve overs between Jason Roy and Mark Ramprakash saw Surrey seize the early initiative.

Roy found the boundary on six occasions in addition to flicking Lewis over mid-wicket for a maximum. But Gloucestershire's fight-back was sparked by Roy's departure, caught behind off Ian Saxelby for 40.

With Will Gidman striking twice in the space of seven deliveries to prize out Ramprakash, who was claimed at second slip, and Steven Davies, caught down the leg-side, the visitors went into lunch with a spring in their step.

Gloucestershire were buoyed further when Tom Maynard was brilliantly caught in front of first slip by Richard Coughtrie off the second ball of the afternoon session. 101-5 became 108-6 when, following a short break for rain, David Payne trapped Gareth Batty in front with an inswinging delivery.

But then an exhilarating passage of play, in which de Bruyn forged productive alliances with Arafat and Dernbach, saw the game swing back towards Surrey.

Arafat, whose 44 came in just 47 deliveries, overtook de Bruyn when he brought up the fifty partnership for the hosts' seventh wicket, with two successive off-side boundaries off Alex Gidman.

Three overs later, de Bruyn went to his half-century, which came off 73 balls, though not before Arafat had been caught at second slip. Dernbach lifted Lewis over long-on for six as he and de Bruyn added 43 in seven overs.

Dernbach was bagged at first slip and, in the next over, de Bruyn went for 66 when he drove a full toss straight to point. Saxelby drew a line under Surrey's first innings when he had Tim Linley caught at second slip, to finish with figures of 4-73.

In response to Surrey's 225, Gloucestershire quickly shrugged off the early loss of Chris Dent, who was caught behind off Linley in the third over.

It needed a superb delivery from Dernbach to see the back of Kane Williamson. Hamish Marshall, who was dropped on 19 and 33, and Chris Taylor both fell victim to balls that appeared to keep low.

Taylor, however, led the way with a responsible 52 off 70 balls, and Alex Gidman batted in a similar vein to put his side within 54 runs of Surrey by the close.

GO TO:

BACK TO: