Ramps raises the bar

Mark Ramprakash extended his fine run of form © Getty Images

Mark Ramprakash became the first player this season to register 2,000 first-class runs as he hit a dazzling century in Surrey’s top-of-the-table Liverpool Victoria County Championship Division Two clash against Worcestershire at New Road.

The 36-year-old former England batsman needed 152 to reach the magical milestone, achieved on his way to scoring 196, which included 27 fours off 256 balls.

The 87th first-class ton of his career, coupled with 104 by Jon Batty and an undefeated 110 from Ali Brown, put Surrey in firmly in command as they closed on 496 for four, a first-innings lead of 192.

It was Ramprakash’s second century of the season against Worcestershire, as he scored 118 when the visitors won a thriller by two wickets at the Brit Oval in May.

Surrey had resumed on 42 without loss off 13 overs and soon began making healthy progress.

Scott Newman, 16 overnight, confidently made his way to the 45 he needed to complete 4,000 first-class runs for Surrey.

He reached the landmark with a cover drive boundary off paceman Matt Mason before going on to register his seventh championship fifty of the season.

Hopes of a century, however, evaporated when he top-edged a sweep off spinner Gareth Batty to Stephen Moore at mid-wicket for 64, including 13 fours off 98 balls.

Ramprakash - whose previous 2,000 runs in a season came in 1995 when he stacked up 2,258 - joined Batty, who steadily moved to his seventh first-class fifty of the campaign when he firmly straight drove paceman Roger Sillence to the rails.

By lunch, Surrey had added 127 in 36 overs with Batty and Ramprakash continuing to impress after the interval against a tiring Worcestershire attack.

Ramprakash confidently reached 50 with five fours off 75 balls before Batty went on to complete the 12th first-class century of his career with an edge to the third man boundary off Sillence.

His partnership with Ramprakash was worth 157 in 43 overs before his three-figure exploits came to an end when he outside edged a Sillence delivery to Ben Smith at first slip.

His four-and-a-half-hour stint at the crease was rewarded with 16 fours off 203 deliveries.

Batty’s removal was a welcome lift for Worcestershire, who rapidly followed up by dismissing Mark Butcher for a duck.

He played away from his body against Indian paceman Zaheer Khan and was caught behind by Steven Davies to deny him the chance of scoring the 15 runs he needs to complete 1,000 for the season.

The two quick-fire departures, however, failed to unsettle Ramprakash, who reached his eighth championship ton of the campaign with an edge over the slips to the boundary off Zaheer.

He has reached 150 in each of his last five championship matches, and went on to 2,000 for the season with a cover-driven boundary off paceman Nadeem Malik.

Ramprakash then went on the rampage with Brown who chalked up his fourth championship century of the season and the 43rd of his career.

By the close Brown had hammered two sixes and 16 fours and put on 229 in 40 overs with Ramprakash, who was out off the last ball of the day when he mistimed a sweep off Batty and Phil Jaques took the catch behind Davies.