With Mark Ramprakash marking the first anniversary of his hundredth first-class hundred with the 107th century of his prodigious career, and Stewart Walters hitting a responsible 84, Surrey used day three to make 311-2 in reply to Leicestershire’s 593 for five declared.

Ramprakash, who came to the crease in the first over, following Jonathan Batty’s departure to the fifth delivery, struck an unbeaten 174 off 271 balls. Walters, whose rich vein of form has coincided with him assuming the Surrey captaincy, has so far faced 213 deliveries and struck eleven boundaries.

Ramprakash only had one reprieve, on 84, when James Taylor almost got his hands underneath a low chance at point off the bowling of A.J.Harris. But the scorebook will show that the 39-year-old now shares 17th place in the list of all-time three-figure-makers, alongside Colin Cowdrey and the Surrey great Andy Sandham.

Ramprakash started circumspectly, sweeping Claude Henderson for four in the 19th over to move into double figures, by which time Michael Brown had already begun to give the Sunday crowd something to cheer with a selection of eye-catching shots off Harris.

Brown brought the fifty up for the Brown Caps in the eighteenth over with his sixth boundary of the morning, when he cut Harry Gurney to the rope at cover point. But, after becoming bogged down against the spin of Henderson, the 29-year-old perished attempting to sweep the slow left-armer. Through the stroke a tad too early, Brown watched as the ball looped up conveniently off the back of his and into the waiting hands of H.D.Ackerman at slip.

But thanks to Ramprakash and Walters, who put on 236 in 69 overs for the third wicket, Surrey, needing to make 444 to avoid the possibility of being asked to follow-on, went more than two sessions without suffering any further setbacks.

Walters, who swept Henderson for six off the last ball before lunch, drove the veteran spinner through cover off the back foot for four shortly after the break and then despatched Nathan Buck to the extra cover fence; though not before Ramprakash had brought up his half-century off 92 balls. Ramprakash only needed a further 74 deliveries to post a sixth hundred against Leicestershire.

As was the case before lunch, there was a burst of runs just prior to tea. With three balls to go before the interval, Walters pulled Jacques du Toit for four before reaching his fifty in 120 deliveries with a three to deep mid-wicket. Ramprakash then flicked du Toit to the rope at square leg.

In the 78th over, Ramprakash on drove and pulled Gurney for successive fours before pulling the 22-year-old left-arm seamer for six. Four overs later, Walters brought up Surrey’s second batting point by punching Gurney through extra cover.

Ramprakash slog swept Henderson for four and then reached 150 for the 37th time in his career when he pushed Gurney into the leg-side for two. It had come off 233 balls and included 23 fours and a six.

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