Ramprakash & Butcher slay Sussex

County Championship D1, Hove: Sussex 109-1 v Surrey 626-3d (stumps, day two)

Match scorecard

Ramprakash is repeating his form of last season with some fine batting

A stunning 403-run stand between Mark Ramprakash and Mark Butcher ensured Sussex's poor start to the campaign looked set to continue at Hove.

Having come together on day one with Surrey 112-2, Ramprakash and Butcher brutally set about the Sussex attack.

Ramprakash hit three sixes in his 332-ball 266 and Butcher (179) and Ali Brown (50) helped Surrey to 626-3dec.

Richard Montgomerie and Chris Nash each struck a half-century to help Sussex to 109-1, but Surrey remain in charge.

It was a testimony to the pair's powers of concentration under pressure, after Carl Hopkinson had fallen lbw to Australian Matt Nicholson off the first ball of the innings.

However, the story of the day was Ramprakash, who batted for more than eight hours in compiling a magnificent 13th double century of his first-class career.

He forced 31 fours and three sixes and his partnership with Butcher was the highest Championship stand against Sussex, as well as being the second biggest partnership at Hove.

Butcher, dropped before adding to his score in the morning, went on to lodge the 35th first-class century of his career.

The Surrey captain had struck 16 fours and a six in his six-and-a-half-hour vigil when he was bowled by former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed.

Mushtaq (1-178) got through 35 overs and, as the Sussex bowlers toiled, his compatriot and opening bowler Naved-ul-Hasan finished with 1-103 from 26 overs.