Butcher hails Ramps ton

Alan Butcher was highly impressed by captain Mark Ramprakash's latest offering

Mark Ramprakash made Kent’s bowlers and his own Surrey team-mates look hapless with another “special innings” at Canterbury today.

The pedigree Ramprakash displayed yet again - with his 103rd first-class hundred, and his first as a 39-year-old after his birthday yesterday - was not lost on Surrey cricket manager Alan Butcher.

There were many admirers at the St Lawrence Ground, where the visiting captain received a standing ovation when he made his way off at tea unbeaten on 87.

He dominated the scoring in an LV Division One match which did not get under way in earnest until the third afternoon, because of bad weather.

After his 176-ball innings of 127 had steered Surrey towards a stumps total of 220 for five, Butcher was on hand to once again pay tribute to a talent which has prevailed in English cricket for more than 20 years.

“It was different class - a special innings,” said Butcher, himself like Ramprakash a former England batsman.

Ramprakash has surpassed even his own highest standards this summer, if not quite in weight of runs then in one other telling statistic.

“His conversion rate this year has been 100 per cent - every time he gets past 50 he gets a hundred,” Butcher added.

Ramprakash left the field to a standing ovation

“That doesn’t happen very often. It just underlines what a class player he is.”

It seems highly unlikely, however, that Ramprakash’s 50th hundred since he moved from Middlesex to Surrey seven years ago will be able to substantially alter the outcome of a rain-ruined match which looks sure to end in a stalemate.

An unexpected victory would do wonders for either relegation favourites Surrey or title hopefuls Kent.

But Butcher confirmed he - and he suspects his hosts - will not be prepared to forego the possibility of more first-innings bonus points on the outside bet of forcing the win.

With more than 200 overs already lost to the weather after three days, even if tomorrow’s forecast rain does not materialise an understandably conservative approach is on the cards.

“I can’t see any realistic way that we’re going to pull a result out - because you give up the opportunity of your bonus points,” Butcher explained.

“We can’t really afford to do that, for the sake of a gamble on a win. We may as well get the bonus points, and it’s the same for Kent.”

Butcher confirmed he expects Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar to arrive on Monday, having been signed up for the remainder of the season.