Thanks to Will Jefferson's 135 off 174 balls, which included 19 fours and two sixes, Leicestershire got off to an excellent start on the opening day at the Brit Oval. It was the 30-year-old's fourteenth first-class hundred, although it was his first in the County Championship since September 2005. It was followed up with half-centuries from James Taylor and Jacques du Toit, who has so far contributed an undefeated 72 in 124 deliveries to put Leicestershire in a dominant position on 337-4.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, the visitors - who lost their vice-captain Andrew McDonald to a late fitness test on a tweaked hamstring - initially found themselves in trouble when Matthew Boyce, pushing forward to Jade Dernbach in the fourth over, went leg before without scoring. But, thereafter, the Leicestershire batsmen found the pitch as much to their liking as the good-sized crowd did the glorious weather.

Will Jefferson, who was in majestic form, then shared in two three-figure partnerships. After playing himself in, he pulled Dernbach for four in the tenth over. Five overs later, the former Essex and Notts opener cut Gareth Batty to the cover point rope. In the next, he drove Meaker for fours either side of the wicket.

In the 21st over, Paul Nixon, who had edged Dernbach, at a catchable height, through the vacant gully area early in his innings, cut Batty in front of square on the off-side for four. The next over saw Jefferson drive Chris Schofield's first delivery to the rope at wide long-off before slog sweeping the former England leg-spinner for four.

Jefferson moved to his fifty in the 25th over when he flicked Batty to long leg for a single. His half-century had come from 74 balls and it contained eight boundaries, including a reverse swept four off Batty.

The visitors went to lunch on 106-1. But, in the fourth over after the interval, Nixon, looking to force Chris Tremlett straight up the ground, was bowled off an inside edge for 41; bringing the curtain down on a second wicket stand that was worth 105 in 33 overs.

Jefferson then put on 118 in 21 overs with James Taylor, who announced himself with a cover driven boundary off Tremlett a couple of overs later. In the 40th over, Jefferson despatched Batty through extra cover for two successive fours.

Four overs later, Jefferson slog swept Batty for six. In the 48th over he went to his hundred, in 137 deliveries, in similar fashion, this time clubbing the ball out of the ground.

Jefferson brought the 200 up for Leicestershire in the 53rd over with a drive through extra cover for four off the bowling of Dernbach. Two overs later, Stuart Meaker, who had been expensive, should have been rewarded for his efforts, but Arun Harinath dropped Jefferson, who was on 128, at deep fine leg.

Fortunately, for Surrey, it did not prove costly. Jefferson, cutting Schofield, was caught at backward point three overs later, but the Oval outfit still had to seek to contain Taylor and Jacques du Toit on a beautiful pitch. The former duly brought up his half-century, off 55 balls, with an on driven four off Schofield in the 60th over.

Resuming on 245-3 after tea, Leicestershire's fourth wicket pair were separated in the 71st over, when Taylor was defeated by Batty's arm ball, though not before du Toit had cut Meaker to the point boundary to give his side a second batting point and launched Batty straight down the ground for six.

Du Toit's fifty was 86 deliveries in the making. The single he took to mid-on off Schofield to bring it up also took Leicestershire to 300. Surrey delayed taking the new ball until after 88 overs had been bowled. In the 91st over it nearly produced a wicket, but du Toit, on 61, was dropped at first slip by Batty off the bowling of Tremlett, who had arguably been the pick of the hosts' attack.

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