Half-centuries from Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Kumar Sangakkara and Steven Davies edged Surrey into a slender yet potentially crucial first innings lead of 67 at the mid-point of their Specsavers County Championship match with Lancashire at the Kia Oval.

On a perfect day for batting, Surrey might have expected a three-figure contribution from at least one member of their top order, as it was Burns's 88 proved their top score thus far in a disappointing total of 354 for six at stumps.

Resuming on their overnight score of 50 without loss and in reply to Lancashire's disappointing first day total of 287, Surrey openers Burns and Sibley were first to reach half-centuries in extending their first-wicket partnership to 160.

Burns moved to his 80-ball 50 with a thick edge over the slip cordon to third man for a ninth boundary off the bowling of Jordan Clark. It was Burns's seventh championship half-century of the summer.

Lancashire turned to spin for the 15th over of the day in the shape of Arron Lilley, but his sixth delivery was cut for three to backward point by Burns to raise the century opening stand.

The red rose county turned to spin at both ends with the introduction of slow left-arm from Simon Kerrigan at the Pavilion End, yet Burns and Sibley still looked totally untroubled.

Sibley's crisp cover drive for four against Lilley then raised his third championship half-century of the summer from 130 balls and with seven boundaries.

Lancashire's bowlers emerged from lunch to bowl tighter lines and were rewarded for the endeavour by removing the Surrey openers in the space of nine deliveries, both to the bowling of Kyle Jarvis.

Sibley (56) was first to go when he chopped on to the base of his off stump off an open bat face when trying a run down to third man. Then, three runs on, Burns chased a near wide to be caught by a tumbling Steven Croft when 12 short of his century.

Left-handers Arun Harinath and Kumar Sangakkara added 45 inside 10 overs before Harinath, in prodding down the wrong line to a Lilley arm-ball, went lbw for 21.

Steven Davies joined forces with Sangakkara, who revelled in the hottest conditions of the summer so far. With the sun on his back the Sri Lankan maestro soon took a view on the slow left-arm bowling of Kerrigan, hoisting the Lancashire spinner for four over cover and a six into the pavilion seats off successive balls on his way to a 47-ball 50 with five fours and a brace of sixes.

Davies also went for his shots, helping to add an attractive 66 through to the interval as Surrey cut Lancashire's overall lead to 13 runs.

Jarvis and Nathan Buck shared the second new ball from the pavilion End immediately after the resumption and it was Buck who bagged the prized scalp of Sangakkara four overs into the final session.

Having just launched into a lofted drive that sizzled to the ropes at extra cover, Sangakkara leant back looking for another off-side boundary only to pick out Haseeb Hameed in the gully and depart for 67 from 73 balls.

Davies and Ben Foakes steered the hosts into the lead and to a third batting bonus point while Davies posted the third 50 of the day, his fifth of the season, from 96 balls and with six fours.

Foakes perished in the final hour, lbw when pushing at one from Luke Procter, then Davies, on 59, continued the theme for the day by tossing away his own wicket with a lame leg-side clip off a Lilley long-hop that picked out Kerrigan at mid-wicket.

Sibley, the second of Surrey's four half-centurions of day two, said: "A few of us could have got big hundreds today so that's a little bit of a shame, but everyone has chipped in otherwise and we've got a useful little lead that we can maybe build upon tomorrow.

"The pitch has started spinning a little bit more which is good for us obviously and if we can extend that lead and put pressure on them tomorrow who knows. Every run is important.

"Lilley got a couple to go, but only really out of the foothold and that was from quite wide out. But we have 'Bats', one of the best spinners around, so he'll find a way of making those patches work for him somehow."

Steven Croft: "I thought we stuck at it quite well. In periods we bowled really well and relieved the pressure. If they'd had 50 less runs and we'd taken a couple more wickets we'd be in a really good position.

"Kyle (Jarvis) was slow to start, as we all were, but he came back really well and Nathan Buck held well all day. I thought we finished well on a tough, challenging day.

"There are two new-ish batsmen at the crease and hopefully we can blow them away and have a good look at the tail. When it comes to our turn to bat, we need to bat better than we did in the first innings.

"They bowled well and were tight, not giving us much to hit, but we need to dig in more in the second innings and build a sizeable lead. We need a couple of really big partnerships to put them under pressure. Spin will play a bigger part in the latter stages of the game, so hopefully we have a big lead to work with.

"It's not flat out there and it's tough if you do bowl in the right areas."

TEA REPORT

An unbeaten half-century from Kumar Sangakkara and a cameo 33 not out from Steven Davies helped Surrey recover from the loss of three mid-session wickets on day two of their Specsavers County Championship with Lancashire.

The hosts, having posted 160 for their first wicket, lost Dominic Sibley, Rory Burns and Arun Harinath in the space of 10 overs, only to mount an attractive fourth-wicket recovery that helped them into tea on 274 for three - cutting Lancashire's lead in the match to 13 runs.

Lancashire's bowlers emerged from lunch to bowl tighter lines and were rewarded for the endeavour by removing both Surrey openers in the space of nine deliveries, both to the bowling of Kyle Jarvis.

Sibley (56) was first to go with the score on 160 when he chopped on to the base of his off stump off an open bat face when trying a run down to third man.

Then, three runs on, Burns chased a near wide to be caught by a tumbling Steven Croft when 12 short of a century.

Left-handers Harinath and Kumar Sangakkara added 45 inside 10 overs before Harinath, in prodding down the wrong line to a Lilley arm-ball, went lbw for 21.

Sangakkara soon took a view on the slow left-arm bowling of Kerrigan, hoisting the Lancashire spinner for four over cover and a six into the pavilion seats off successive balls on his way to a 47-ball 50 with five fours and a brace of sixes as he and Davies added 66 through to the interval.

LUNCH REPORT

Having dismissed Lancashire for a below par 287 on day one Surrey continued to hammer home their ascendancy with an unbroken century opening stand on day two of their Specsavers Championship clash at the Kia Oval.

The hosts went in at Wednesday's lunch break sitting pretty on 150 with loss with Rory Burns unbeaten on 80 and Dominic Sibley with 54 not out - for an overall match deficit of 137.

Though beaten twice by consecutive deliveries from Kyle Jarvis, Surrey's left-handed opener Burns countered with a glorious clip off his legs for four.

He moved to his 80-ball half-century in less glamorous style however, edging over the slip cordon to third man for a ninth boundary off the bowling of Jordan Clark. It was Burns's seventh championship half-century of the summer.

Lancashire turned to spin for the 15th over of the day in the shape of Arron Lilley, but his sixth delivery was cut for three to backward point by Burns to raise a century opening stand in tandem with Sibley.

The visitors turned to spin at both ends with the introduction of slow left-arm from Simon Kerrigan at the Pavilion End, yet Burns and Sibley still looked totally untroubled.

Sibley's crisp cover drive for four against Lilley then raised his third championship half-century of the summer from 130 balls and with seven boundaries.

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