Mark Butcher led from the front with an unbeaten century on the opening day against Kent, which, despite the loss of forty overs to a combination of rain and bad light, saw the defending champions take up a strong position.

Butcher, captaining Surrey in the absence of Adam Hollioake, who withdrew after his father was taken ill on Tuesday evening, won the toss and had no hesitation on electing to bat. His approach to opening the innings was equally unswerving. The England number three played positively throughout his unbeaten 191-ball 117, using his feet to all of the Kent bowlers except Mohammad Sami.

Ian Ward departed in the nineteenth over when he snatched at a short ball from Ben Trott and lobbed a catch to mid-on, but when rain brought about an early lunch his opening partner had moved on quickly to 42.

Sami was as rapid as anything the Surrey batsmen have come across this season, but he was not allowed to settle due to umpire Ian Gould’s interest in where the Pakistani’s right foot was landing after his delivery stride. The 22 year-old did enough, however, to unnerve Mark Ramprakash, who gloved a brute of a ball to gully without adding to his lunch score.

Mark Butcher might have been out in the very next over, when a genuine outside edge evaded Ealham’s full-length dive at gully. Instead, it brought Butcher the four runs that took him past fifty in 76 deliveries. That apart, the left-hander’s trademark cut and off drive were much in evidence as he required only a further 66 balls to post the 25th first-class hundred of his career, and his first in the championship this season.

Graham Thorpe, who was watchful initially, soon moved up through the gears when the spinners were introduced and were occasionally guilty of dropping short outside the off stump. The former England batsman reached a beautifully crafted half-century off 75 balls and showed the sort of form that suggested the “former” tag will not be needed for very much longer.

The dominance of Butcher and Thorpe – who added 138 in 35 overs for the third wicket – masked the degree of bounce and turn both of the Kent spinners were extracting from The Oval pitch; something that must have had Saqlain Mushtaq and Ian Salisbury rubbing their hands with glee.

James Tredwell deserved to be rewarded. Rob Ferley was, though. His first championship scalp was the prized one of Graham Thorpe, who departed in the seventh over after tea when his attempted sweep popped up off a pad and was claimed by Geraint Jones, who got around quickly to forward short leg.

Not long afterwards the rain that had put paid to the second half of Tim Henman’s quarter-final encounter against Sebastien Grosjean arrived in SE11 via Wimbledon with a vengeance. The day’s play was called off, just as the AMP Oval was once again bathed in sunshine, just before 6.00pm.

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