On day one of this drama, the central characters were Murray Goodwin and Mark Ramprakash, and so it was on day two. Ramprakash marched on to a chanceless 178, without which his side would not be in the commanding position it is. But, as impressive a record as Ramprakash has against Sussex, Goodwin has been a thorn in Surrey's side on more than one occasion. Given that the 35-year-old Zimbabwean has made scores of 119, 205 not out and 98 against the Brown Caps coming into this match, the Oval outfit will have been hoping overnight that the reprieve they handed him on five, when he was dropped at second slip off James Benning, does not come back to haunt them today.

Also, had Jonathan Batty not dropped Michael Yardy on 11 the prospect of Surrey's first championship victory of the season would appear to be a good deal more likely. At the Chairman's Evening, which took place after the close of play, the Brown Caps' manager, Alan Butcher suggested that the meeting would not be as well attended had his side not shelled what he estimated to be forty chances in this summer's championship. The two that went down yesterday would have reduced Sussex to 27-4 in reply to their hosts' 455.

Results, which Butcher said last night he was prepared to be judged by, are not about ifs and buts, though, they are about who scores the most runs and who takes the most wickets. This summer Surrey are yet to bowl their opponents out twice. Now that the shine has been knocked off the new ball, they will be hard pressed to do so here.

Yesterday's morning session produced just 75 in 30 overs. Batty posted his second championship hundred of the season, which occupied 269 deliveries, off the third ball of the day. But in the seventh over of proceedings, he was adjudged leg before to Corey Collymore, in spite of his left leg being planted outside the line of off-stump.

Ramprakash duly reached his 150 by working Jason Lewry into the leg-side for a single. But, at the other end, Usman Afzaal was uncharacteristically becalmed, perhaps as a result of taking a nasty blow on the left elbow.

The Brown Caps' captain fell to a top-edged sweep off Ollie Rayner just before lunch, bringing to an end 19 hours and 24 minutes spent at the crease in the championship, during which he had notched up 490 runs.

Benning hit the first ball he received straight down the ground for four. Immediately after the break, having crawled to 11, Afzaal twice cut Rayner to the boundary. But, due to their tardiness earlier, Surrey missed out of a fifth batting point. The closest the Brown Caps came to looking like achieving a full hand was when they were 364-4 after 125 overs.

Rory Hamilton-Brown was re-introduced in the 132nd over and precipitated a collapse that saw Surrey surrender their last six wickets for 57 runs in the space of fourteen overs.

In the 134th over Benning popped the ball up to short leg. Two deliveries later Matt Nicholson was caught behind at the second attempt and Hamilton-Brown almost made it three in an over when Alex Tudor edged his first ball, which Andrew Hodd parried to slip where Rayner could not react quickly enough.

Two overs later Tudor punched Hamilton-Brown straight up the ground for six, though not before Afzaal went to what must rate as one of his slowest half-centuries, which came off 129 balls and included six fours. Three overs later Tudor repeated the dose, this time off Rayner, which prompted Yardy to bring on Chris Nash.

Even though Nash went on to claim a career best three for seven, it was not the inspired decision it might appear to be. Afzaal was guilty of holing out to long-off. In the same over, the 143rd, Tudor hit the ball straight down fine leg's throat and, two overs later, Saqlain Mushtaq top edged a slog sweep to backward point.

Murtaza Hussain was the last Surrey man to go when he was run out by Hodd thanks to Carl Hopkinson's quick thinking at short leg.

After tea, Nash opened his account by lifting Jade Dernbach over the slips for four, but Dernbach had the last laugh when Nash got an inside edge on to his leg stump. Two overs later Michael Thornely, prodding at a back of a length ball, was caught behind. Dernbach's spell read 6-2-18-2.

Yardy and Goodwin then added 68 in 28 overs before the former was beaten by Benning's direct hit at the bowler's end from short fine leg. With Rayner coming in as nightwatchman to protect Hopkinson, the visitors ended the day on 97-2 chasing a follow-on target of 306.

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