It was a wearying second day of the season for Lancashire as Mark Butcher then Usman Afzaal notched up their first hundreds of the new campaign. As if Ramprakash and Butcher's third wicket partnership, which ultimately realised 218 runs, was not enough, Afzaal's unbeaten alliance with Alistair Brown, worth 160 in 32 overs, set a new record for the sixth wicket for Surrey against the Red Rose county; rubbing out Ian Ward and Rikki Clarke's 144 at the Oval five years ago. To make matters worse for the visitors, who need 388 to force their hosts bat again, Brown then pulled off a superb catch, low to his left at third slip, to see the back of Iain Sutcliffe.

Mark Ramprakash brought up his side's second batting bonus point with the first four of the day, a straight drive off Oliver Newby. Two overs later Butcher posted the 200 partnership with a hooked four off the same bowler.

Ramprakash enjoyed another moment of fortune when he edged a ball from Mahmood past his stumps to the fine leg boundary to take his score to 115. With no addition to the Surrey total, Butcher, on 89, skied a pull off Newby to mid-on. However, with the ball coming out of the sun, Glen Chapple misjudged its trajectory and strained his back as he fell awkwardly in attempting to claim the catch.

Newby, whose pre-lunch spell read 12-2-38-1, was eventually rewarded for his persistence when Ramprakash pushed forward and got a thin edge to the keeper in the 82nd over. The former Middlesex man's 118 lasted 205 balls and included 19 boundaries. The last time Ramprakash was dismissed for less in first-class cricket was on August 16, 2007 at the Riverside.

Five overs later, his skipper eased to his first ever century against Lancashire, which took 188 balls, with a tickled four to fine leg. At the other end, Afzaal made a confident start by hitting Gary Keedy's first ball of the day straight down the ground for six before cutting Andrew Flintoff beautifully for four on his way to an unbeaten 32 at the break.

In the eighth over after lunch Chapple's first delivery brought about Butcher's demise. Afzaal posted a 104-ball half-century and following the departure of Benning, who fell to the sweep, the 30-year-old joined forces with Brown.

At tea Afzaal, who latched on to anything loose from Keedy and launched the slow left-armer for another six (this time into the temporary members' area in the OCS Stand), was on 99. The sixth ball after the break saw him reach a century on his championship debut for Surrey, in 165 deliveries, with 10 fours and two maximums.

Either side of reaching his own fifty, off 80 balls, Brown cut loose. But as good as his, Ramprakash and Butcher's efforts were, Afzaal's knock was the stand out innings. To underline the fact, the left-hander hit Sajid Mahmood for two sixes in as many overs; the first when he middled a hook to long leg, the second with a seemingly effortless on drive. On this evidence the Brown Caps will be difficult to knock over in 2008.

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