The day when Surrey will, once again, be considered a force in county cricket, without needing to rely heavily on the trusted blade of Mark Ramprakash, seems no closer than it did when Chris Adams took charge of the Oval outfit more than two years ago. When day two of this contest ended prematurely, due to rain, Surrey led by 109 runs with five second innings wickets intact thanks, predominantly, to Ramprakash's unbeaten 61 off 92 balls. One suspects the 41-year-old will have to convert it into a 114th first-class hundred if Gloucestershire are to be resisted.

Faced with a first innings deficit of 36, Surrey lost both of their openers before achieving parity. Rory Hamilton-Brown collected boundaries off the second and third deliveries of the hosts' second dig. The latter was sent sailing into the Wedlake Bell Family Enclosure for a maximum. But, in his third over, Ian Saxelby got one to nip back markedly to dispose of Jason Roy. Six overs later, Saxelby was the beneficiary when Hamilton-Brown, playing away from his body, chopped on to his off stump.

The crucial wickets of de Bruyn and Davies fell either side of tea, in slightly anomalous circumstances. Zander de Bruyn padded up to a ball from Will Gidman that struck him high on the front pad, not to mention outside the line of his off stump. Fifty minutes after the break, Steven Davies played on to David Payne. On another day the ball would have bounced over the stumps, but on this occasion, after being hit into the ground, it looped unkindly for the Surrey stumper.

The following over saw Ramprakash bring up his fifty in 93 balls, with a gloved four to the fine leg boundary off Saxelby. Ramprakash hit the next delivery on the up to the rope at third man. But, two overs later, Saxelby bowled Tom Maynard, who was on the walk just four balls before the umpires took the players off for bad light.

Earlier, Gloucestershire's first innings resumed on 171-4 and Alex Gidman wasted no time adding to his undefeated 22, cover driving Jade Dernbach and straight driving Tim Linley for two more boundaries.

It took Surrey fifteen overs to make the first breakthrough of the day, when the Gloucestershire captain, who survived a chance in the slips on 32, pushed forward hesitantly to go caught behind for 43. But he was outlasted by nightwatchman David Payne, who, having been dropped at second slip on eight, eventually played a tired check-shot to extra cover to bring the curtain down on his 89-ball vigil.

De Bruyn struck again when Will Gidman drove loosely outside his off stump to present Davies with another victim shortly before lunch. Four overs later, Ed Young was run out by Yasir Arafat when Richard Coughtrie drove de Bruyn to mid-on, started to run, but then abandoned both the notion and his partner.

Saxelby was caught behind off a ball he could easily have left alone to make it 242-9. Five overs later, Gloucestershire were dismissed for 261 when Jon Lewis was defeated by a slower ball from Dernbach, which trimmed his bails.

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