Only fifty overs were possible at Guildford yesterday, which was a blessing in some ways since only Scarborough saw more action. In that time, however, Mark Ramprakash notched up his 93rd first-class hundred and his fortieth since joining Surrey in 2001. It was also his ninth first-class ton against Worcestershire. No opponent has yielded more and they have spanned just 16 innings against the New Road outfit.

Guildford also seems to have become a happy hunting ground for the former Middlesex man, who has now hit three centuries in four championship visits to Woodbridge Road, plus a 97 against Kent for good measure. But in that time Surrey have not added to the eight successive championship victories they recorded at Guildford between 1995 and 2002. With the wet weather accounting for more than a day out of the first two, the likelihood is that the Brown Caps will have to wait another year before scoring their next.

Ramprakash brought up his fifty in the eighth over of the day in 106 deliveries with his seventh four, a drive through mid-wicket off Gareth Batty. Two overs later he on drove the off-spinner for six.

Mark Butcher threatened briefly to take the Worcestershire attack apart, but immediately after cracking Kabir Ali through cover for four, edged a drive low to the keeper.

Other than repeating the dose against Batty in the 68th over, Ramprakash then found himself playing second fiddle to Stewart Walters for the best part of an hour. Walters also hit Batty for six, over long-on, before playing on to Dewald Nel.

Ramprakash re-ignited his innings by clipping Roger Sillence's first delivery of the day to the cover boundary off the back foot. He then cover drove Nel for four and progressed to his sixth hundred of the season with a two to deep mid-wicket in the second over with the new ball. It had taken the 37-year-old 174 balls and included two sixes and ten fours.

At that point he lost Rikki Clarke, who, having just despatched Kabir through cover for four, lofted a pull over the bowler's head to give Vikram Solanki a catch running round from mid-off.

After a 3¾ hour break for rain, the hosts lost three wickets as they went from 297-5 to 347-8 at the close. Ramprakash square drove Kabir for four to give the Brown Caps a third batting point. But later in the same over Richard Clinton picked up his second successive duck when the left-hander was adjudged leg before to a full length ball on leg stump.

Chris Schofield wasted no time getting off the mark, clipping the ball through cover point. Ramprakash pulled Nel for six and cut the next delivery to the third man boundary.

The re-introduction of Sillence to the attack brought the former Gloucestershire man the scalp of Schofield, who gave Graeme Hick a regulation catch at second slip. In the next over Ramprakash, attempting to sweep Batty, gloved the ball to the keeper. His 142 lasted 292 minutes, 223 deliveries and contained three sixes and 14 fours.

The question is will Hick, the only man currently playing first-class cricket with more runs than Ramprakash, follow suit and give his side a foothold in the game?

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