Surrey 248 for 8 (Smith 100, Bosch 3-52) vs Essex
Jamie Smith produced the perfect dress-rehearsal for his England debut on day one of their top of the table clash with Essex at The Oval.
Named this morning as the only wicketkeeper in England's 14 for the first Test against the West Indies a week on Wednesday, Smith struck his second century of the season, making exactly 100 with two sixes and 14 fours, as the hosts reached 248 for 8 on a rain-shortened day in south London.
Smith's heroics apart, Surrey's batters struggled against some probing bowling, South African quick Eathan Bosch returning 3 for 52 in only his second appearance for the county.
Play began on time after morning drizzle but only two overs were possible before the rain returned, forcing the players from the field until after an early lunch.
The delay helped the hosts who had been asked to bat first under slate grey skies which had largely dissipated by the early afternoon.
Even so former England opener Dominic Sibley produced a mixture of crisp drives off his pads with plenty of playing and missing outside off stump, and was given a life on 10 when Jamie Porter shelled one at backward point, Shane Snater the unlucky bowler.
The spill wasn't overly expensive as Sibley reached only 24 before swishing one from Bosch to Dean Elgar at first slip.
Dan Lawrence, also named in the England squad, fluffed his lines, producing one glorious cover drive before fencing at one from Bosch which bounced a bit off a length caught the edge and flew to Simon Harmer's giant hands at second slip.
Harmer would spill a more routine chance to reprieve Rory Burns on 25, Snater again the luckless bowler, but like Sibley before him the Surrey skipper didn't cash in, nicking one from Paul Walter in the next over to Michael Pepper behind the stumps.
His dismissal brought Ben Foakes to the crease, the wicketkeeper - not for the first time - cast aside by England supremo Rob Key, this time in favour of his team-mate Smith. Tellingly, Surrey named Foakes as keeper despite Smith's promotion to the role in the national side. Smith has only kept wicket twice for Surrey this season, one of those appearances coming in Foakes' absence.
Fate dictated the two men would bat together though not for long, Foakes, understandably deflated edging through to Pepper to give Bosch a third wicket.
Smith though stood firm, demonstrating his ability to be a 360-player, punching and caressing fours through cover and punishing anything on his legs both backward and forward of square.
A ninth four crunched square took him to 50 in 70 balls as he and Sai Sadharsan shared a stand of 70, the Indian youngster's contribution to which was 13.
The stand would be broken in strange circumstances. Porter was forced off the field mid-over after appearing to dislocate a finger. Walter took up the cause for the visitors and two balls later found the edge of Sudharsan's bat, Harmer providing safe hands at slip.
Nothing though was going to derail Smith from a day of destiny, the 23-year-old twice clearing the ropes on the way to a century sealed by a quickly run single.
Job done, he left the stage to the next delivery he faced, castled after missing a straight one in Matt Critchley's first over.
Jordan Clark didn't detain us for long and Ryan Patel's burgeoning innings was cut short by the first ball of a new spell from Snater which pierced his defence.
