COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, The Oval:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY ONE: Surrey 342-8 v Kent (Surrey 3pts, Kent 2pts)
10 - 13 July 2009 (1100-1800 BST)

Ramprakash fell 14 runs short of his fourth Championship ton of the season

Kent took five wickets in the final session to share the spoils with Surrey on day one at The Oval, after Mark Ramprakash had led the way with 86.

Ramprakash hit 12 fours and a six, but his dismal sparked a Surrey collapse as Kent took three wickers for 20 runs.

James Tredwell was the pick of the visitors' bowlers finishing the day with 3-66.

Earlier, Michael Brown (55) and Jonathan Batty (44) shared an opening partnership of 105.

The pair's century stand was amassed in just 30 overs, and was ended a ball before lunch when Tredwell enticed Batty into a push-drive that he could only edge to slip.

Brown, with a sound 84-ball fifty, looked in no trouble until an ill-advised single called by Ramprakash left him floundering to make his ground as Wayne Parnell followed through off his own bowling to run him out.

Ryan McLaren, the pick of Kent's seamers in the first two sessions, then had Mark Butcher (12) caught at mid-on from a hurried pull shot but still Surrey, and Ramprakash in particular, seemed in command.

The former England man eased to a 79-ball fifty before tea, but Kent then hit back in the final session sparked by some extra bounce from Justin Kemp.

The all-rounder grazed the outside edge of Ramprakash's bat to send him packing to a catch at the wicket.

Parnell, entrusted with the second new ball, bowled Stewart Walters (12) off an inside edge.

In the next over Amjad Khan, who struggled for rhythm earlier in the day, ran one away from Usman Afzaal (46) to have him caught at second slip and make it 275-6.

To their credit, Surrey still went for their shots and the boundaries continued to flow on a rapid Kennington outfield until the re-introduction of off-spinner Tredwell at the Pavilion End led to two more quick dismissals.

Chris Jordan (28) pushed at an arm-ball to be caught behind then, two balls later, Alex Tudor (0) edged his back foot prod to slip where Kemp held a stunning reflex catch.

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