Ramps romps to double ton

Mark Ramprakash stroked a majestic double century as Surrey’s rain-affected LV County Championship clash with Somerset at Taunton ended in an inevitable draw.

But it was the 12 points claimed by the home side which could prove most significant as it moved them to within three of Division One leaders Nottinghamshire with a game in hand.

Surrey resumed their first innings on 47 for one after the captains declined the option of a contrived finish and closed on 406 for nine, with Ramprakash unbeaten on 200. Andrew Caddick took 5-118, his best return of the season.

It was another marathon effort of concentration by Ramprakash, who batted for more than seven hours. The Surrey skipper faced 337 balls and hit 22 fours and two sixes, receiving good support from Usman Afzaal (65) as the First Division’s bottom club claimed 10 points from the match.

Stewart Walters could add only four to his overnight score of 34 before edging Charl Willoughby to Marcus Trescothick at second slip with the total on 53.

Jonathan Batty fell cheaply, bowled on the back-foot defence by Alfonso Thomas and at 62 for three Surrey looked in some trouble. But Ramprakash and Afzaal took it to 135 for three at lunch with Ramprakash reaching 50 off 140 balls, with seven fours.

Mark Ramprakash launched Peter Trego for two sixes as he neared his double hundred

Afzaal followed to a half-century after the break, off 106 deliveries, with six boundaries. The fourth-wicket partnership was worth 139 when he slashed a wide delivery from Caddick to Ben Phillips at gully.

Matthew Spriegel made only two before being picked up by Zander de Bruyn at third slip off Caddick, but there was no dislodging the unflappable Ramprakash, who reached his hundred off 225 balls before tea, having extended his boundary count to 14.

At 249 for five, Somerset needed four more wickets in the final session to take all three bowling points, while Surrey required 151 runs from 34 overs to claim maximum batting points.

Justin Langer took a sharp slip catch to dismiss Matthew Nicholson off Caddick, but then dropped an easier chance offered by Ramprakash, on 147, off Ian Blackwell.

Chris Jordan edged a drive to Trescothick in the slips to give Caddick his fourth wicket. Then Ramprakash, who barely seemed to have played a shot in anger, reached his 150, off 292 balls, with 19 fours.

Saqlain Mushtaq came in to play some extravagant shots in an effort to claim two more batting points as the last 16 overs began with Surrey 342 for seven. But he soon edged Caddick to Trescothick to complete the 78th five-wicket haul of the veteran seamer’s career.

Somerset claimed their third bowling point when Peter Trego had Jade Dernbach caught behind for 11 with 6.1 overs remaining.

Ramprakash then hit Trego for two sixes to take Surrey to 400 before Langer set the field back, allowing his rival captain the single to take him to his double hundred.