Another century from Mark Ramprakash and two stylish supporting knocks from Rory Hamilton-Brown and Matthew Spriegel put Surrey well and truly in control against Northants on day one at the Brit Oval. Ramprakash started the match second in the pecking order of this summer's leading run-makers in the County Championship. He now sits top. Given the manner in which he went about his business yesterday, chanceless throughout, few would bet against him pulling even further away from the chasing pack of Adam Lyth, Stephen Peters and Chris Rogers today. So much for the rumour Ramprakash is contemplating retirement.

Northants lost the toss and put down two critical chances, when Hamilton-Brown was dropped at second slip on 19 and Spriegel had a let-off on 18. But the visitors' chief handicap was having just one bowler on show, Elton Chigumbura, capable of troubling the batsmen.

Steven Davies cut the first ball he received for four. Later in the same over, Tom Lancefield, on his championship debut, drove Jack Brooks through the covers off the back foot. Two overs later, Lancefield rocked back and pulled 26-year-old seamer to the square leg boundary, but lost his partner in the next when Davies was caught at gully off the bowling of David Lucas.

Ramprakash announced himself with a flick off his legs to the on-side boundary in the tenth over, shortly before going past one thousand first-class runs for the season for the twentieth time in his career. Northants made another breakthrough when Chigumbura accounted for Lancefield, who got a thin edge through to the keeper, in the 18th over. But either side of lunch a third wicket stand of 164 in 31 overs, between Ramprakash and Rory Hamilton-Brown, saw the hosts take a firm grip on proceedings.

Hamilton-Brown was fortunate, perhaps, to survive the period just prior to the break, but immediately after lunch he was central to the addition of 47 runs in the space of just 16 deliveries. Three fours in an over from Lucas took him to his fifty from 56 balls, whereupon he scored even quicker, hitting James Middlebrook for a straight six to bring up the 150 for Surrey.

The next over saw Ramprakash despatch Lucas to the rope at cover point, before flicking him through the leg-side for another four. Seven overs later, the former Middlesex man went to his half century, in 106 deliveries, then Hamilton-Brown drove the next ball, from Middlebrook, to the cover boundary to move into the nineties.

Hamilton-Brown's second championship hundred of the season arrived five overs later, with a cover driven four off Chigumbura. But before he could build on it the Surrey skipper was caught at first slip for a run-a-ball 103, which included 14 fours and a maximum. Five overs later, he was joined in the dressing room by Usman Afzaal, who miscued a pull off Brooks to make it 239-4.

In the 56th over, Stewart Walters, on one, survived a chance at square leg off the bowling of Brooks. Walters straight and then cover drove Chigumbura for four before top edging a pull off Brooks for six. The 27-year-old ended the 58th over with two successive boundaries, leaving Brooks to nurse figures of 1-96 off 16 overs. But, just before tea, the former Surrey captain chanced his arm once too often and was caught behind off a skied pull to give Chigumbura a third scalp.

With Ramprakash and Spriegel going on to share in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 146 in 37 overs, it was to be the visitors' last success. Shortly after tea, Ramprakash brought up his sixth first-class hundred against Northants, and the 112th of his career, which he celebrated by straight driving and sweeping Middlebrook for boundaries. The next over saw Spriegel, on one knee, driving Chigumbura through the covers; a stroke he repeated shortly after Brooks was handed the new cherry in the 81st over.

The 23-year-old left-hander reached his fifty in 88 balls, after which he played some audacious shots. In the 89th over, using his feet, Spriegel straight drove Middlebrook for four before cutting him to the rope at cover point. Two overs later, Spriegel underlined Surrey's dominance by collecting three more boundaries off the former Essex off-spinner, including a wonderful straight six.

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