Mark Ramprakash put his England disappointment behind him to lead Surrey to a three-wicket victory over Lancashire at The Oval.

For Surrey it was a third consecutive win in the Championship, keeping them atop the table, but Lancs could drop to third if Leicestershire win later on Saturday.

Although team-mates Alec Stewart and Alex Tudor both received recalls, Ramprakash's name was predictably not among the 13-man squad for Lord's announced before play began.

But he responded with backbone, progressing from an overnight 71 to finish 119 not out - his 57th first-class century - from 219 deliveries.

The home side, needing 104 more runs on the final day for victory, stuttered in pursuit of their total.

Stewart fell four short of his third half-century this season, holing out to David Byas at mid-off trying to drive Mark Chilton after a partnership of 109.

And a slight panic set in when Azhar Mahmood edged John Wood behind for 15, and Tudor was lbw to Gary Keedy having hit two boundaries from three deliveries.

But dependable lower-order man Martin Bicknell joined Ramprakash in an unbroken eighth wicket stand worth 19 to steer Surrey home shortly before lunch.

Surrey: I Ward, M Butcher (capt), M Ramprakash, G Thorpe, A Brown, A Stewart (wkt), Azhar Mahmood, A Tudor, M Bicknell, I Salisbury, J Ormond,.

Lancashire: M Chilton, A Swann, D Byas, S Law, G Lloyd, A Flintoff, W Hegg (capt, wkt), G Chapple, K Hogg, J Wood, G Keedy.