Days like yesterday leave one wondering whether Surrey are contenders for the championship title after all. There is little wrong with their batting, but then you can say that of practically all of the sides in Division One. However, their bowlers have a habit of looking uninspired when confronted with an unresponsive pitch and there are one or two “passengers” in the field, which undermines attempts to staunch the flow of runs and build up pressure.

When the Oval outfit had Kent 202 for four, it seemed as if they had done all the hard work. This summer, the hop county have relied heavily on just four batsmen. At that stage three of them were back in the dressing room; and it was later alleged that one had taken his frustrations out on it after giving his wicket away on a pitch that was tailor-made for the willow wielders.

But that marked the beginning Matt Walker and Justin Kemp’s record-breaking alliance which, to date, is worth an unbeaten 206 in 45 overs and has resulted in the removal of the names of Wally Hardinge and Lionel Hedges from the Kent v Surrey record book. Hardinge and Hedges enjoyed a fifth wicket partnership of 202 against Surrey at Blackheath in late-July 1921. But that game ended in a draw and so should this in spite of the hosts’ failings with the ball.

Yesterday, the day began with Surrey losing three wickets for 58 runs in just over an hour. Alistair Brown was caught behind in the second over for 107. Azhar Mahmood entertained for a while and hit Amjad Khan over long-off for six before being trapped leg before to a ball that appeared to keep low. Shortly after Ian Salisbury was snaffled at the second attempt by Niall O’Brien, to hand Min Patel his third wicket of the innings, Mark Ramprakash opted to deny the visitors a third bowling point.

David Fulton initiated Kent’s reply with successive fours and another to finish the opening over bowled by Mohammad Akram, on whom the new ball was wasted. However, in fairness to the former Pakistan Test player, he was the pick of the Surrey attack with the older cherry, particularly when he switched to the Railway End. Akram gave way to Azhar, who was easily the most penetrative bowler on view, and the Pakistan all-rounder soon had David Fulton edging a sharp delivery to second slip.

After lunch Martin van Jaarsveld dominated the highest second wicket partnership against Surrey in this year’s County Championship – 65 in twelve overs – before Jimmy Ormond found the outside edge of the South African’s bat in the 27th over. Moments earlier Robert Key, on 28, had survived a half-chance down the leg side, but had then helped the same bowler, Mohammad Akram, on his way and over the long leg boundary for six.

But contrary to the early indications, Key’s day was set to end in disappointment. Having just punched Nayan Doshi through the off-side for a brace of boundaries, he rocked back to the last ball of the same over and was bowled. The wicket of Darren Stevens followed moments later. Steven’s move from Leicestershire during the winter appears to have rekindled his career, but against Surrey he has never enjoyed any success. Prior to yesterday his first-class average against the Brown Hatters was a tad over sixteen. Now it is even less.

But on Walker and Kemp Kent could depend. The former reached the 17th hundred of his career – the 14th since the start of 2001 – and his third against Surrey in 120 deliveries. Kemp completed his just before the close.

Both batsmen drove with apparent ease, and when the bowlers opted to peg them on the back foot the tall versus short, left-hand versus right-hand duo simply despatched anything just slightly wide or wider; all of which begged the question why Ramprakash persisted with two slips for so long. Equally baffling was his decision to turn to Ian Salisbury in the 60th over with both batsmen well set.

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