With Claude Henderson's sixteen overs producing the wickets of Steven Davies, Mark Ramprakash and Rory Hamilton-Brown, Surrey face an uphill battle to avoid the follow-on let alone preventing a third championship defeat in four matches at the Brit Oval this season. With just four first innings wickets intact, the hosts are 170 runs away from the follow-on target of 330.

In reply to Leicestershire's 479, Surrey lost Arun Harinath in the fourth over when the 23-year-old left-hander was drawn into playing an outswinging delivery from Harry Gurney to be snapped up at second slip by Will Jefferson.

Three overs later, Mark Ramprakash announced himself with a cover driven four off Nathan Buck. Steven Davies brought the fifty up for the hosts in the fourteenth over with the second of four fours in the space of six deliveries from Matthew Hoggard. The first three were flicked to the on-side boundary, but the fourth was cut dismissively through point to make it 59-1.

Shortly after tea, Davies went to a 62-ball half-century with the first of two fours worked off his left hip down to the rope at fine leg off Jigar Naik. Naik was also on the receiving end when Ramprakash played a delightful late cut in the 22nd over and an authoritative drive through extra cover two overs later.

Davies took the Surrey total to one hundred by dancing down the pitch and lifting Claude Henderson over wide mid-on for four in the 27th over, but four overs later Henderson had his revenge when Davies was caught at leg slip off a lifting delivery for an entertaining 69 and, then, five balls later, Ramprakash nibbled at one to be caught at slip.

Having looked out of touch, Younis Khan departed in the 38th over when Buck pulled off a stunning return catch low to his left. Rory Hamilton-Brown on drove Henderson for three fours, though not before he had been dropped, on 0, at short third man off the 37-year-old slow left-armer.

But, then, in the 45th over, the Surrey skipper, looking to force, was caught and bowled by Henderson. The home side's confidence took another knock in the following over when Gareth Batty pushed Naik into the outstretched left hand of James Taylor at short leg to make it 157-6.

Earlier, Leicestershire, resuming on 337-4, lost du Toit in the fifth over of the day when he chased a wider delivery from Jade Dernbach to be taken behind. Tom New then embarked on an arduous sixth wicket partnership of 98 in 34 overs with Naik.

New had only made 27 when he was dropped by Davies, diving to his left, off the bowling of Dernbach in the 108th over. Three overs later, he despatched Dernbach to the fence at cover. New then top edged a hook to fine leg for four off Stuart Meaker before progressing to his half-century, in 143 deliveries later in the same over, the 118th.

But after lunch, Leicestershire proceeded to lose their last five wickets in the space of seven overs for 22 runs, with Dernbach claiming three to finish with 5-87 - figures that do not begin to illustrate how well he bowled on a pitch offering very little for the seamers other than consistent bounce.

In the 136th over, Naik, who had made 34, was undone by an off stump yorker from Dernbach. Four overs later, New moved into the nineties with a back foot drive through point for four. But two balls later, New, gloving a hook, was caught behind for 91. The 25-year-old stumper had batted for 260 minutes, faced 204 deliveries and found the boundary on just seven occasions.

The 141st over saw Henderson cut Batty for four, but then Batty picked up the wicket of Buck, who was caught at slip without troubling the scorers. In the next over, Dernbach flattened Henderson's leg stump, then Batty held on to a firmly struck drive from Gurney to finish with 3-122.

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