Surrey make slow progress through to Friday’s lunch break

Rob Key made five changes to the side that beatSurrey on Thursday

Kent v Surrey LV County Championship Division 2, Day one. Canterbury
By Mark Pennell
SURREY made steady if unspectacular fist of their first innings batting on the opening morning of this LV County Championship clash with Kent at St Lawrence.
A noon start, the legacy of last night“s Pro40 clash between the two sides, coupled with a flat pitch made for a dour first session as Surrey reached 73 without loss after 31 overs.
On winning the toss Surrey rightly elected to bat first in windy, but otherwise fairly ideal conditions for crease occupation as openers Jonathan Batty (34*) and Michael Brown (25*) made it through to lunch with little or no hassle.
Brown, on three, snicked an attempted back-foot slash off Amjad Khan over the head of James Tredwell in the gulley for a four to third man then, eight overs before lunch, Khan switched to the Pavilion End to see Batty edge just out of reach of Justin Kemp at first slip. Otherwise the St Lawrence faithful had little else to cheer.
Kent made five changes to the side that beat the Brown Caps on Thursday evening. In came Rob Key, Martin van Jaarsveld, Justin Kemp, Amjad Khan and Simon Cook at the expense of Matt Coles, James Goodman, Rob Ferley, James Hockley and Azhar Mahmood. Joe Denly was also absent on England duty and Wayne Parnell has returned home to South Africa.
With injuries to Martin Saggers and Robbie Joseph, skipper Key gave a championship debut to all-rounder Alex Blake and gave another run out to rookie seamer Phil Edwards.