Had it not been for Bilal Shafayat and Ben Phillips, who put on 120 in 28 overs for Northamptonshire's seventh wicket, the visitors would now have had little to show for winning the toss and electing to bat first on another true Oval surface. With Anil Kumble and Ian Salisbury both claiming figures of three for 83 and eight of the ten wickets falling to spin, much would appear to rest on the shoulders of Jason Brown if Surrey are to be made to work for their first championship double over the Wantage Road outfit since 1954.

When the returning Chris Rogers gave Northants a bright start, courtesy of a run-a-ball half-century, there was no indication that his side would be four down by lunch. But with Stephen Peters being squared up and caught at gully, Rogers falling to a catch at square leg, Usman Afzaal driving too early at Anil Kumble's leg-spin and David Sales throwing his wicket away, the visitors found themselves on 104 for four.

Their final total of 347 also looked just as improbable at 183 for six, after Rob White was caught low down at cover point by Ramprakash off the bowling of Mohammad Akram and Lance Klusener was similarly snapped up at short leg by Newman.

Five overs later, Northants should have been 205 for seven, but Newman floored an easier chance off Bilal Shafayat than the one he took to account for Klusener. At that stage Shafayat, who had looked less than secure, was on 33. But thereafter the 22-year-old played authoritatively and was more than ably assisted by Ben Phillips.

Phillips made 65 from 102 balls with nine fours and two sixes while Shafayat went on to make 91, including 13 fours and three sixes, from 157 balls.

Phillips announced himself by hitting Kumble off the back foot through point and then pulling him for another four in the 66th over. Either side of his reprieve Shafayat launched Nayan Doshi for sixes and, in the 70th over, reached his fifty, off 105 balls, by hitting the fourth highest wicket-taker in Test history straight back over his head for another maximum.

The fourth over after tea saw Phillips collect three leg-side boundaries off Azhar Mahmood, including a pulled six, and not long after he posted his third half-century of the season in 85 deliveries. In the 85th over Phillips lapped Kumble for six, but the India leg-spinner gained his revenge in his next over when the former Kent man holed out to deep backward square leg.

Shafayat moved to his highest score since the start of May, but missed out on a third hundred of the season when he came down the track to Ian Salisbury and lofted a catch to Clarke at cover. Salisbury, who, if anything, bowled better before tea than he did after it, then mopped up the tail by having both Wigley and Brown accounted for at short leg.

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