Surrey off to a flyer

County Championship D1, Leicester, day one (close): Surrey 349-4 v Leicestershire

Match scorecard

Each of Surrey's five top-order batsmen made half-centuries to cap a profitable opening day for the leaders at Leicester.

Surrey need a positive result to keep second-placed Sussex at arm's length, and they started in fine fashion with Rikki Clarke leading the way with an unbeaten 90.

After winning the toss, Surrey put on 93 runs for the first wicket before keeper Jonathan Batty was caught by Darren Maddy off the bowling of skipper Phil DeFreitas.

Maddy then claimed the wicket of Ian Ward for 59 before striking again to remove Mark Ramprakash for 55 as Surrey fell to 178-3.

But the hosts were unable to capitalise on the breakthroughs as Clarke and Graham Thorpe set about establishing a promising fourth-wicket partnership.

The pair put on 169 runs together before Thorpe was caught behind off Jeremy Snape for 87 in the dying overs.

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Leicestershire: J K Maunders, D L Maddy, B J Hodge, J L Sadler, P A Nixon, D G Brandy, J N Snape, P A J DeFreitas (capt), V C Drakes, D D Masters, C E Dagnall.

Surrey: I J Ward, J N Batty, M R Ramprakash, G P Thorpe, R Clarke, A J Hollioake (capt), Azhar Mahmood, I D K Salisbury, Saqlain Mushtaq, J Ormond, T J Murtagh.

Umpires: D J Constant, N G Cowley.