Surrey turn the screw

Jon Batty scored his second championship century of the season for dominant Surrey

Surrey continued to dominate their clash with Sussex on day two of their LV County Championship Division One match at the Brit Oval.

Jon Batty batted superbly to complete his second century of the season and Usman Afzaal chipped in with 58 after Mark Ramprakash had been dismissed for 178, leaving Surrey all out for 455,

The hosts had lost their last six wickets for just 57 runs in 14 overs, but they immediately struck back with Jade Dernbach snapping up Chris Nash for seven and Michael Thornely without scoring.

First to go was Nash, playing on in Dernbach's second over, before Thornely edged an outswinger to Batty behind the stumps.

Despite Murray Goodwin being dropped on five, Sussex recovered to reach 84 without further loss before they lost Michael Yardy (36), run out by James Benning's direct hit from short fine-leg.

Goodwin moved on to an unbeaten 49 at the close with Sussex still needing 210 runs to avoid the follow-on.

Batty was unbeaten overnight on 96 and took just three balls to reach his century with a glorious boundary through midwicket at the start of the day.

He added just two more runs when the partnership of 232 with Ramprakash was finally broken in the 96th over by Corey Collymore.

Ramprakash carried on from the first day and soon went past 150, although he was beginning to tire and played a brace of rash shots which he was fortunate to survive.

However, five minutes before lunch, he holed out to deep square leg, giving Robin Martin Jenkins a simple catch having cracked a sublime 178.

Incoming batsman James Benning made his intentions clear from the start, smashing a four with his first ball - but when he had advanced to 36 he was caught at short-leg off Rory Hamilton-Brown - his maiden first-class wicket - and Surrey’s collapse started.

Two balls later Matt Nicholson edged behind without scoring. At the other end Afzaal progressed steadily to his half-century from 129 balls before driving part-time spinner Nash to long-off.

Three balls later Alex Tudor, making his first start at his former club after signing on loan from Essex, swept to Ollie Rayner at fine-leg for a rapid 30, and Nash picked up his third wicket by dismissing Saqlain Mushtaq for five, giving him figures of 3-7 from seven overs.

The innings was wrapped up with the stumping of Murtaza Hussein for two, giving Hamilton-Brown 3-54.