Surrey kept in check

Ramprakash was in good touch until his run out

County Championship D1, Old Trafford, day one of four: Surrey 292-7 v Lancashire

Match scorecard

Division One leaders Surrey emerged from an attritional first day at Old Trafford with marginal honours over a gritty Lancashire outfit.

With the core of their roster otherwise engaged at Edgbaston, Surrey were well-served by their 'back-up' first XI with Jonathan Batty, in for wicket-keeper Alec Stewart, hitting an unbeaten 55.

Former England players Mark Ramprakash (71) and Ian Ward (61) also figured amongst the runs, but it was far from one-way traffic for Surrey.

Gary Keedy kept them in check with three wickets, and teenage debutant James Anderson showed great promise to claim two scalps.

Despite the early loss of Michael Carberry for 10, Surrey looked to be cruising on 143 for one before a Ramprakash run out sparked a mini-collapse.

Keedy and Anderson pounced, combining to reduce Surrey to 177 for five just before tea.

Anderson's first wicket in first-class cricket was that of Ian Ward, who was tempted into an edge that wicket-keeper and captain Warren Hegg snaffled.

The dismissal of Ali Brown on the stroke of tea, bowled by Keedy for 28, was a blow for the visitors and they did well to recover after the interval.

Batty shared in a 102-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Rikki Clarke, another young talent who, in just his second game, made 41 before Anderson got the better of him.

However, Keedy's dismissal of Martin Bicknell as the last act before the close of play was a tacit reminder that Surrey have a game on their hands.

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Lancashire: M J Chilton, A J Swann, N H Fairbrother, S G Law, G D Lloyd, W K Hegg (Capt, Wkt), G Chapple, K W Hogg, J M Anderson, G Keedy, P J Martin.

Surrey: I J Ward (Capt), M A Carberry, M R Ramprakash, A D Brown, N Shahid, R Clarke, J N Batty (Wkt), M P Bicknell, Saqlain Mushtaq, I D K Salisbury, J Ormond.

Umpires: D J Constant and N G Cowley