LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, The Oval:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Surrey 490 Middlesex 148-0
Surrey 4 pts, Middlesex 2 pts
Match scorecard

England Test captain Andrew Strauss clips the ball away through the leg side on his way to an unbeaten 54

England Test captain Andrew Strauss and Scott Newman shared an unbroken century opening stand to lead the Middlesex fightback on day two against Surrey.

Strauss (54no) found some welcome form ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh, while Newman was unbeaten on 79 as Middlesex closed on 148-0.

Earlier, Mark Ramprakash was eventually out for 223 as Surrey, 286-4 overnight, were bowled out for 490.

Gary Wilson also made a career-best 62, while Shaun Udal finished with 5-128.

Strauss had made only 262 runs at an average of 23.81, with just one half-century, in his previous 11 Championship innings.

And, with England having returned victorious from their World Twenty20 campaign, a return to form could not have been better timed.

Ramprakash showed him what could be done on a true Oval pitch as he turned 125 not out overnight into his 11th double-ton for Surrey, putting him just one behind Sir Jack Hobbs' county record of 12.

The 40-year-old also moved into joint-fifth position in the all-time list of first-class double-century makers, with 16 in his career, putting him level with Hobbs, CB Fry and Graeme Hick.

Ramprakash was eventually ninth out, hitting high to long on, after facing 395 balls and striking a six and 26 fours in a 564-minute stay at the crease.

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