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Sam Evans, Marcus Harris centuries set Leicestershire on course before late Surrey charge

Marcus Harris plays to the offside Getty Images

Leicestershire 306 for 6 (Evans 112, Harris 101) vs Surrey

Contrasting centuries from Sam Evans, his third in as many matches, and Marcus Harris saw Leicestershire build the foundations for a big first-innings score before Surrey fought back on an absorbing first day of the LV County Championship match at the UptonSteel County Ground.

Evans, 23, backed up three-figure scores against Surrey at The Oval and Gloucestershire at Bristol by reaching a hundred for the first time on his home ground as he and Harris compiled a stand of 195 for the second wicket.

Harris, coming in early after Hassan Azad was caught behind off Reece Topley for just 5, played a series of glorious shots, particularly through the offside, hitting 15 boundaries in going to his hundred.

Evans also hit 15 fours in going to his century, but both were dismissed by Amar Virdi. Evans's dismissal, caught off the inside edge at short leg, was the 23-year-old off-spinner's 100th first-class wicket as the visitors picked up five wickets in the final session to leave the match nicely balanced before a shower saw play end three overs early.

Azad's dismissal set the scene for an impressive partnership from Evans and Harris, and while the former may have been less assertive in terms of taking the attack to the Surrey bowlers, his application and ability to work the occasional loose ball to the boundary ensured his contribution was no less valuable.

Having taken 17 balls to get off the mark, however, Harris unfurled some sumptuous shots, looking every inch the Australia international, and it was a surprise when shortly after reaching his hundred, he was leg before to a delivery from Virdi that went on with the arm.

Virdi then brought up a century of his own by dismissing Evans before Leicestershire skipper Colin Ackermann, who had looked in really good form, went leg before to a Topley delivery that stayed very low.

The in-form Lewis Hill was caught down the leg-side, and Virdi returned to bowl night-watchman Ed Barnes to ensure the day finished with fortunes even.

Surrey 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st164MD StonemanRJ Burns
2nd37HM AmlaMD Stoneman
3rd54MD StonemanOJ Pope
4th1MD StonemanBT Foakes
5th1MD StonemanJL Smith
6th18MD StonemanJ Clark
7th17MD StonemanJ Overton
8th6R ClarkeJ Overton
9th22R ClarkeRJW Topley
10th4R ClarkeA Virdi

County Championship

Division 1
TeamMWLDPT
NOTTS431068
LANCS421157
WARKS421156
HANTS421153
YORKS412140
SOM404014
Division 2
TeamMWLDPT
ESSEX430177
GLOUC431064
DURH311140
NHNTS412138
SUR301227
GLAM403123
Division 3
TeamMWLDPT
KENT440083
MIDDX431067
WORCS422049
LEICS412143
DERBS412142
SUSS404018
Group 1
TeamMWLDPT
NOTTS10424151
WARKS10415145
DURH10325132
ESSEX10325129
WORCS10136109
DERBS1005572
Group 2
TeamMWLDPT
SOM10415148
HANTS10424145
GLOUC10532131
SUR10226123
LEICS10244111
MIDDX1027184
Group 3
TeamMWLDPT
LANCS10415150
YORKS10514149
GLAM10226127
NHNTS10334123
KENT1003797
SUSS1015494