Warwickshire Surrey (307 for nine) are 230 runs behind Warwickshire in their first innings... Warwickshire remain on course to extend their lead at the top of the Championship table despite a defiant century from Mark Ramprakash. For much of the day this game took on a familiar pattern. Warwickshire's batsmen piled up an intimidating total, allowing their bowlers time to grind down the opposition. They have already taken maximum bonus points and can expect to enforce the follow-on early this morning. But for a faultless innings from Ramprakash, this game could have been near its conclusion by now. Ramprakash batted superbly, leaving the ball well alone where his colleagues pushed and prodded, and mercilessly punishing any deviation in line or length. Only he, of all the Surrey batsmen, showed the application to knuckle down to the job at hand and only he looks capable of defying the bowlers for any length of time in the second innings. He clearly enjoys batting against Warwickshire. Even before this innings, he averaged 134 from his last ten first-class performances against them and there was an inevitability about this, his 69th first-class century. Much like Ian Bell the previous day, Ramprakash was magnificently balanced at the crease. Unlike Bell, however, this innings was chanceless. By leaving the ball with great discipline, Ramprakash forced the bowlers to bowl in his area, then drove beautifully straight or clipped through the legside field with precision. Wary of cutting on this bouncy wicket, Ramprakash instead rode the short ball, late-cutting down to third man and allowing himself just one slog-sweep for six off the disappointing Brad Hogg. What a shame it is that he hasn't been able to consistently translate his abundant skills on to the international stage. When Ramprakash, and indeed Graeme Hick, made their Test debuts, there was a proliferation of wonderful bowlers operating in world cricket. Yesterday, his partners proved fickle companions, appearing to lack the passion or pride that so typified Warwickshire's performance. Scott Newman flashed at one outside his off stump, Rikki Clarke chopped on and Jonathan Batty prodded at one he should have left. Naqaash Tahir impressed again. He dismissed Ali Brown with his first ball, finding lift and movement to induce an edge and twice more taking wickets in the first over of his spells. Although Jimmy Ormond dented his figures by clubbing a few boundaries, only Ramprakash looked comfortable against Naqaash and he underlined the impression that Warwick-shire have a special talent. With Adam Hollioake, Ramprakash added 72 for the fifth wicket, with the former launching into a series of crunching drives. Yet Hollioake's carefree attitude was to prove his undoing. In attempting an ambitious slog sweep, he succeeded only in lofting a catch to deep mid-wicket where he was exceptionally well held by Michael Powell. It was revealing that Ramprakash seemed far more disappointed than Hollioake. Azhar Mahmood hit five boundaries before playing on to the deserving Alan Richardson and Ormond produced some lusty blows in adding 50 for the eighth wicket. But the only real resistance came from Ramprakash and surely only he now stands between Warwickshire and victory. Earlier in the day Dougie Brown, returning to the ground where he made his Championship debut in 1994, completed the seventh century of his first-class career. Brown added 107 with Hogg, taking the game beyond the reach of Surrey. Although Warwickshire soon last nightwatchman Naqaash, Hogg took the attack to the Surrey bowlers. His driving was a delight and his innings occupied only 41 balls, as he took a heavy toll on some poor bowling. Brown (145 balls, 17 fours) was more bucolic, leaning back and slashing the ball over the slips on several occasions, but he gave no chances and attacked with a selflessness typical of the man and the team. The tail fell away somewhat, presenting the persevering Phil Sampson with a maiden five-wicket haul. But Warwickshire's total was still the highest achieved in first-class cricket at Guildford and more than enough to claim maximum batting points for the eighth successive time. | 
