KENT endured a serious day of leather chasing on the opening day at Guildford where the major surprise was that both Mark Ramprakash and Graham Thorpe missed out on centuries.

A sublime pitch and a lightening-fast outfield allowed Surrey to reach 394 for five on this first day of four at the Woodbridge Road Ground as Kent’s bowlers toiled in 80 degree temperatures to get any assistance from a shirt-front pitch.

With England selector Geoff Miller watching from the hospitality marquees both Thorpe and, to a lesser extent Ramprakash, will have wanted to make a point having both been overlooked for the opening Ashes Test.

And while both made it into the 90s, it was the stand and deliver style of Ali Brown that finally won the day as he cantered into three figures from only 151 balls and with a six and 13 fours.

Having dropped Martin Saggers from their side in favour of all-rounder Justin Kemp, Kent would undoubtedly have preferred to bat first but it was Ramprakash who won the toss and who took the option.

He lost Richard Clinton, a former Kent 2nd XI player in the fourth over of the innings, when he wafted outside off stump to edge to Kemp at slip, but after that wickets were much harder to come by.

The home skipper, troubled by a bruised toe, hobbled in to open his account with a text boot cover drive and went on to add 101 for the second wicket with Jonathan Batty.

Batty contributed 50 from 82 balls and nine fours, including three from Min Patel’s second over, but without addition to his score Batty went and Patel had his revenge.

Advancing down the track to a dipping delivery Batty jabbed down late and hard only to pick put Matthew Walker fielding at short mid-wicket.

That bought together Ramprakash and Thorpe for a batting masterclass that left the Kent attack looking incredibly ordinary.

Ramprakash pierced the field 14 times on his way to the 90s then, soon after lunch Thorpe rocked back to pull a short one from Amjad Khan out of the ground and onto the busy A322.

Just three short of his century Ramprakash suffered a fatal rush of blood, semi-charging Cook he flailed wide outside off stump to edge to the delighted Niall O’Brien.

Brown then took command of centre stage and became the senior partner in a fourth wicket stand that added 98 in 25 overs.

The partnership lasted 152 balls, of which Brown faced 111 to starve Thorpe of the strike.

Though Brown played some delightful shots, Thorpe lost his momentum and with his score on 95 he danced down the track in attempting to drive at Patel only to lose his middle stump.

A hot and dusty day ended with a wicket for Darren Stevens as Rikki Clarke (18) needlessly flailed across the line, but no one could dislodge Brown as he sauntered to his third century of the championship summer.

SCORECARD

Surrey first innings

R S Clinton c Kemp b Cook 0
J N Batty c Walker b Patel 50
M R Ramprakash c O’Brien b Cook 97
G P Thorpe b Patel 95
A D Brown not out 101
R Clarke b Stevens 18
Azhar Mahmood not out 7
Extras 16

Total 394 for five after 104 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-4, 2-105, 3-238, 4-336, 5-382

Bowling: Khan 16-4-58-0, Cook 11-1-59-2, Hall 19-4-69-0, Kemp 17-0-60-0, Patel 29-5-96-2, Stevens 11-0-40-1, Key 1-0-5-0.