Foxes fight back

Hodge scored his century at better than a run-a-ball

County Championship D1, Leicester, day three (close): Surrey 501 v Leicestershire 166 & 348-2

Match scorecard

Brad Hodge and John Maunders scored defiant centuries to dash any hopes Surrey had of victory inside three days.

Their stand of 281 fell just eight runs short of the all-time second-wicket county record set by David Gower and Chris Balderstone for Leicestershire against Essex in 1981.

Australian Hodge, who brought up his century at better than a run-a-ball, was dismissed by Ian Salisbury very late in the day for 157, a knock which included 29 boundaries.

Maunders was much more circumspect, reaching 126 not out off 296 balls at stumps - his first century in nine first-class games.

The reigning champions, who need to win to grab top spot back from Sussex, had an innings verdict in mind they bowled Leicestershire out for 166 in the morning.

Surrey, 335 runs ahead on first-innings scores, did not hesistate in enforcing the follow-on.

Although Rikki Clarke removed Darren Maddy for 20 early on - to claim his fifth wicket of the match - the joy ended there for Surrey as the second-wicket pair settled in.

The hosts had moved into a 13-run lead at day's end, and if Maunders can produce more of the same on the final day Sussex will be eternally grateful.

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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.