Brown rescues Surrey

Mark Butcher made 30 runs for Surrey

Alistair Brown rescued Surrey from a poor start against Lancashire with his third Championship hundred of the season on the opening day at Old Trafford.

It completes the set of scoring centuries against all the other first-class counties, is the 35th of his career and came from 187 balls after just over three hours at the crease.

His 144 not out and an unbroken stand of 121 for the eighth wicket with Tim Murtagh (63 not out) helped Surrey reach 346 for seven, a position which looked unlikely during the morning session when Brown came in with Surrey struggling on 58 for four after choosing to bat first.

Glen Chapple removed Richard Clinton (four) early on in proceedings when the opener inside-edged a ball back onto his stumps.

Scott Newman and Mark Butcher then progressed steadily against some accurate bowling before Sajid Mahmood broke through, having Butcher (30) caught behind from one that bounced.

Newman had struggled for 71 balls before fatally playing back to Gary Keedy and being trapped in front, having been dropped at slip in the previous over, to leave the visitors on 58 for three.

It got worse for Surrey when the in-form Mark Ramprakash (three) was lbw to Mahmood from a ball that kept low without addition to the score.

But Lancashire, desperate for a victory to boost their chances of avoiding relegation, then found it much harder to break through the fifth-wicket stand of Jon Batty and Brown.

The Surrey skipper was the more cautious of the two while Brown started to play his shots, while also having his fair share of luck against Keedy.

However, after adding 119 in 40 overs Batty (36) was persuaded into pulling a Carl Hooper long-hop to Chapple at square leg who took an awkward catch down by his boot laces.

Azhar Mahmood (18) looked keen to take the attack to the spinners, launching Chris Schofield for a straight six, but then fell to an excellent piece of bowling by Keedy as he edged a well-flighted ball to Cork in the gully.

Sajid Mahmood then returned to the attack and continued his impressive performance by forcing Martin Bicknell (14) to play into his stumps in the last over before tea. The tall quick bowler ended the day with three for 52 from 18 overs.

But any hopes Lancashire had of wrapping up the innings quickly where thwarted by Tim Murtagh as he moved to his half-century from 99 balls with six fours.