LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, The Oval:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY ONE: Surrey 286-4
Surrey 2pts, Middlesex 1pt
Match scorecard

Ramprakash is in his 24th season as first-class cricketer

Mark Ramprakash hit the 110th first-class hundred of his career to give Surrey the upper hand on his former county Middlesex at The Oval.

The veteran hit 15 fours and a six in his unbeaten 125 and shared stands of 89 with Arun Harinath (39) and 86 with captain Rory Hamilton-Brown (55).

Usman Afzaal also chipped in with 42 as Surrey closed on 286-4.

Middlesex captain Shaun Udal picked up 3-58 as his bowlers were made to toil after he lost the toss.

Surrey lost Laurie Evans, bowled through the gate by Tim Murtagh, before a mid-morning shower caused a 30-minute interval.

On the resumption, Ramprakash and Harinath blunted the new ball threat of Murtagh and Steve Finn, before Harinath edged behind to John Simpson off Udal.

606: DEBATE Middlesex stuck to their task well on a very flat pitch which promises many more runs before the end of the match loverthelegend

Surrey captain Hamilton-Brown, who had not been born when Ramprakash made his first-class debut, hit nine fours in 60-ball 55, but skied Udal to deep mid-on.

Afzaal and Ramprakash shared another sizeable stand for the fourth wicket, adding 99 in 32 overs before Afzaal foolishly drove Udal to Gareth Berg at mid-on.

That would prove to be the final action of a day that belonged to Ramprakash, whose chanceless innings was his fifth century in 14 first-class innings against his former employers.

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