It may have been Martin Bicknell's last opportunity to represent Surrey on his home ground of Guildford, but in some ways he must have been relieved when Neil Saker, who also served his apprenticeship here, got the nod ahead of him. Woodbridge Road had the emphasis on the 'Road' yesterday, as Somerset won the toss and amassed an imposing 442 for two. Centre stage was Justin Langer, who ended the opening day, unbowed, with 234 off 279 balls - a masterclass of an innings from the nuggety Aussie left-hander that included 31 fours and two straight sixes.

Playing his final championship match before returning home to Perth next week, Langer was in a class of his own, even though each of his opening two partners registering organised half-centuries.

The first of them was Neil Edwards, with whom Langer shared in the biggest stand against the Brown Caps this season - 227 - beating Phil Jaques and Stephen Moore's match-winning 171 for the first wicket in Worcestershire's second innings at the Brit Oval in May. It also established a new record for Somerset's first wicket against Surrey, held previously by J.W.Lee and F.S.Lee, who put on 213 at Weston-super-Mare in 1934.

Edwards, 22, making his first championship appearance for two years, was particularly strong in the arc between cover and the straight boundary. Occasionally he employed an attractive-looking on drive off the back foot, like when he reached his fifty off 89 balls in the 27th over.

Langer had posted his half-century two overs earlier, in 68 deliveries, when he launched Anil Kumble straight down the ground for six. Not even the fourth highest wicket-taker in Test history, who was introduced as early as the fourteenth over, could wring any assistance out of the pitch.

This was underlined when, with the lunch to play for, Langer despatched Ian Salisbury for a straight four and six. The 35-year-old was in such exquisite form that, even after a forty-minute break, he cut and then cover drove fours off the first two balls he received upon the resumption.

Five overs later Langer swept Salisbury for four to reach his hundred off 106 balls. The opening stand was finally broken in the 46th over when Edwards was caught at slip off the former England leg-spinner.

Arul Suppiah eased himself in against Surrey's leg-spin duo before going on to the offensive. The 22-year-old pulled Salisbury out of the ground for six and into the petrol station in Woodbridge Road.

Langer then imposed himself once more by collecting three fours off one over from Mohammad Akram to reach his 150 in 169 deliveries. When Suppiah went to his half-century in the 71st over it also brought up the second-wicket pair's century partnership. They had put on 162 by the time Kumble had picked up his first wicket for Surrey in the 89th over, though not before Langer had reached his two hundred, which came from 227 balls with 28 fours and two sixes.

Just before the close, the Australian posted the highest ever individual score at Guildford, beating Darren Bicknell's 228 not out against Nottinghamshire in 1995.

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