With 79 overs being lost prior to yesterday, this match has become a throw back to the three-day game in every sense, for which we have the two captains David Fulton, who spurned a fifth batting point, and Mark Butcher, by making a 74-ball ninety which included four huge sixes plus nine fours, to thank.

The slow-quick-slow nature of Surrey’s second innings suggested Fulton and Butcher went into the post tea session with a target vaguely in mind. As things stand Surrey have a lead of 298, which, despite the pitch continuing to take a small amount of spin, is surely not enough for them to declare just yet. No doubt, a further discussion will take place before the start of play today to refine the deal.

The day began with Ed Smith and Andy Symonds lifting Kent’s third wicket partnership to 111. Smith, 33 overnight, went to his fifty as early as the fourth over of the day when he cut Martin Bicknell backward of square on the off side for four. If anything, he overshadowed Symonds, whose own half-century was posted four balls prior to him fending the 34-year-old seamer to second slip.

Matthew Walker then stole the limelight with some excellent pulling and cutting, before Ed Smith went to three figures in 138 deliveries in the 62nd over. Smith took three fours off the first over after lunch, bowled by Jimmy Ormond, which also saw the hundred stand being posted for the fourth wicket.

Five overs later, however, Ian Salisbury had the 25-year-old edging him to slip with one that turned and bounced. Mark Ealham, playing away from his body, was caught at third slip, but the arrival of Geraint Jones spelled further misery for the Surrey bowlers.

In the 85th over Ormond was taken for three more fours by the Kent wicketkeeper. That brought about a change at the Vauxhall End, though no adjustment in tempo with Walker picking Saqlain Mushtaq up over mid-wicket for six. At the other end the diminutive left-hander pulled Salisbury for another maximum and, so as not to be outdone, Jones dealt likewise with Alex Tudor, who took the second new ball.

Matthew Walker brought up the fourth batting point with his tenth four, a cut off of Tudor, to move into the eighties, but was denied the opportunity of making his third championship century at The Oval in the hope that Surrey would make a game of it.

Initially, it looked as if they wouldn’t, as just twenty-four runs came from the eight overs before at tea. But with Mark Butcher showing the way again, the home side really motored after the break, passing 200 in the 35th over.

When County Championship matches were last played over three days, batting averages meant little at the end of the season due to one side feeding runs to another, which is precisely what the visitors chose to do after James Tredwell was taken to the cleaners in the fifteenth over.

Mark Ramprakash, pulling, was caught at mid-on, but Butcher went to fifty in 45 deliveries. Mark Butcher and Graham Thorpe milked the bowling of Michael Carberry, whose off spin had not been employed in first-class cricket prior to this season. Mark Butcher hit two sixes off his former teammate to follow the brace he hit took off James Tredwell.

The Surrey captain was out attempting, yet again, to loft Carberry over the man at mid-wicket, Ed Smith. Fifteen overs later Thorpe, advancing down the pitch, was caught behind off the bowling of Rob Ferley.

With just ten overs of genuine seam bowling being sent down, Kent managed to squeeze four more overs out of the day, in which Surrey made 34. Alistair Brown, who recorded his fourth half-century in seven championship innings, finished with an unbeaten 63 off 67 balls.

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