With Martin van Jaarsveld following up Andrew Hall's best bowling analysis in five seasons in England with his second hundred in as many championship innings, Kent go into day three of their visit to the arboreal surroundings of Whitgift School well on top courtesy of their South African duo.

Van Jaarsveld's second wicket partnership of 161 in 38 overs with Joe Denly left the hosts looking increasingly dispirited. In mitigation, Kent enjoyed the better of the conditions, but Surrey's attack lacked both hostility and a cutting edge. The pick, Mohammad Akram, maintained a probing line and length, but in 5.3 overs Rikki Clarke asked more questions than Nicholson and Saker managed in a combined total of twenty-four. Quite why the hosts have gone with two front-line spinners remains to be seen.

The Brown Caps were not helped by two gaffes by Scott Newman who dropped Denly at mid-wicket, when the 21-year-old opener was on 21, and did likewise when van Jaarsveld had 89. The affronted bowlers were Matt Nicholson and Mark Butcher. Denly, who hit a cultured 85 off 126 balls, was given a second life on 48, when Jonathan Batty failed to cling on to a difficult chance off Clarke in the 23rd over.

Earlier in the day Surrey's prospects in this contest were dealt their first blow when they lost six wickets in the space of nine overs. Mark Ramprakash, who was dropped on 10 at first slip, attempted to anchor the innings, but with the ball deviating off the seam even the best batsman in county cricket was made to look non-plussed at times by Hall and Yasir Arafat, who bowled unchanged until Simon Cook came on in the 32nd over.

Batty was caught behind by Geraint Jones - who had to dive full length to his right to account for his opposite number - and Butcher edged to second slip. Alistair Brown got off the mark with a four off Hall, which just evaded the outstretched right hand of James Tredwell at third slip, but then middled a rasping cover drive.

Ramprakash, going for the cut, was brilliantly caught behind off a bottom edge; Clarke was bowled when he chose to play back to a good length ball, and then Brown, driving, looked back to see his off stump performing cartwheels.

Ian Salisbury was the next to go, caught down the leg-side, but either side of lunch Nicholson overcame the conditions to make an unbeaten 48 off 53 balls. However, other than a bright innings of 13 by Nayan Doshi, the tall Australian received scant support as the pitch started drying out.

Nicholson was at the forefront again when Rob Key was caught behind in the sixth over of the visitors' response to 166 all out, but after that it was all Kent. Neil Saker's introduction to the attack was an inauspicious one. The 22-year-old was hit for three successive boundaries by Denly, the first two of which raced straight back past the bowler.

Shortly after Denly reached his half-century in 70 deliveries, van Jaarsveld lifted Salisbury into the sightscreen at the Nottingham Road End for six, which the South Africa followed up by sweeping the former England leg-spinner for four. Denly pulled Nicholson through wide mid-on and in the Australian's next over hit two successive fours through extra cover.

Van Jaarsveld brought up his fifty off 87 balls just before tea. In the third over after the break he cut Nicholson for six and, two balls later, directed the ball the other side Ramprakash at third man. With Saker being despatched through extra cover for three boundaries in as many overs, he was asked to make way for Clarke who promptly accounted for Denly with a full-length delivery. However, after bowling just one ball to the new batsman, Tredwell, the Surrey vice-captain limped off with a hamstring strain.

Nine overs later van Jaarsveld brought up his 33rd first-class century in 140 deliveries, by pushing Akram into the on-side for a single. Two overs later, Tredwell was stumped down the leg side off Doshi, who was later launched for a straight six by Darren Stevens.

The only cloud on the horizon for the visitors is the loss of Matt Walker, who split his right thumb in attempting to catch Doshi at second slip off Ryan McLaren.

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