These days, it is almost taken for granted that the first day of a four-day match at the Brit Oval will yield at least 400 runs. It is largely to Surrey's credit, therefore, that Hampshire were restricted to 352 yesterday. Although, with just six wickets falling - all of them to catches - one sensed that the two sides are still sizing each other up in the way boxers do just before the bell signals the beginning of round one. For the first two sessions Surrey kept the visitors in the slow lane, but after tea their attack wilted a little as Chris Benham threatened to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Significantly as it turned out, the hosts welcomed back Mark Butcher and Ian Salisbury, each of whom had picked up minor injuries during pre-season. Rikki Clarke also made a surprise appearance, playing in spite of a toe injury that kept him out of Sunday's Friends Provident Trophy victory over Kent.

Following a sedate start, which saw just one boundary in the opening ten overs, the visitors, after winning the toss, made steady progress until Jimmy Adams went down on one knee and swept Ian Salisbury for six. That prompted Butcher to press Mohammad Akram back into action. Two overs later, Brown was caught behind fencing at a ball from the former Pakistan seamer that he ought really to have shown no interest in whatsoever.

On a pitch that looked tailor made for John Crawley - Hampshire's leading run-getter in each of the last three seasons - Surrey must have been relieved to have picked up the wicket of the former England batsman for seven, lbw to one that Akram got to skidded on.

A Lancastrian was succeeded by a Yorkshireman, Michael Lumb, who seemed to bring the best out of Adams, who promptly brought up his half-century in 124 deliveries with a cut four to the third man boundary. The 26-year-old left-hander celebrated reaching the landmark by cover driving the next ball, the last of the 38th over, through the covers off Akram.

Adams took his side past the 150-mark with a flick to the mid-wicket boundary off Azhar Mahmood, but shortly after pulling Salisbury the rocking back and cutting Nayan Doshi through point, the Hampshire opener fell victim to a brilliant catch by Butcher at square leg.

Lumb launched Doshi for a straight six before tea and, after it, moved to 49 when he drove Salisbury for four through extra cover. But, having done all the hard work, Lumb was strangled down the leg-side off the veteran leg-spinner.

For the next hour the stage belonged to Chris Benham, who made an attractive and, at times, authoritative 76 off 82 balls that included 14 boundaries; the last eight of which came in the space of 14 deliveries. But, despite looking strong square of the wicket, the 24-year-old slapped Clarke's first effort with the second new ball into the waiting hands of the Surrey skipper at point.

Nic Pothas saw out the day, making an unbeaten forty in the process, but Dimitri Mascarenhas, who opened his account with two successive fours off Clarke, was caught at slip when he threw the kitchen sink at Salisbury with just three overs to go.

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