Cricket: Ramps Mends Some Bridges

Mark Ramprakash was not everyone's cup of tea in Kennington after publishing a critical diary of Surrey's troubled 2005 season, but yesterday the locals might have been persuaded to raise a glass of something stronger. A sublime innings of 276 not out, three short of equalling his career-best, was his 28th century in his seventh season with the club, and his 81st first-class hundred in all. If summertime in SE11 used to mean Hobbs, these days it invariably means Ramps.

Every century he has caressed since playing the last of his 52 Tests four years ago has been accompanied by wistful musings on a world-class talent squandered. At the age of 36 his time has come and gone, but the class and the permanence are still there, and everyone knows it. When he had reached 100, one bookie would offer nothing more enticing than 5-2 against him converting it into his 11th double-century. He should now end up with his first triple.

The driving was near-perfect, the judgment impeccable, and one shot - a front-foot pull for six off Steve Kirby - simply outrageous. Almost incidentally, he became the first Surrey player to be involved in four century stands in the same innings, the most raucous of them being 187 for the fifth wicket with James Benning, whose maiden championship hundred at a run a ball was lost in a welter of Ramprakash-related stats.

By the close he had faced 403 balls, and hit 32 fours and six sixes, four of them off Martyn Ball's off-spin. He had added 222 to his overnight score and supervised Surrey towards their highest total against Gloucestershire. And throughout the threat of boredom felt a far greater enemy than the bowling.

Without their captain Jon Lewis, who was wreaking havoc for England A against the Sri Lankan tourists, Gloucestershire were toothless. Their efforts were summed up when Benning hit Kirby for five fours in an over.