With a brilliant unbeaten innings, which left him just three short of a second century of the early season, Mark Ramprakash took Surrey to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Essex with three overs to spare

After his 146 in the first Cricinfo Championship match, Ramprakash, who was given the Gold Award for the player of the match, put up another superb display of strokes today and featured in a magnificent 151-run stand - from 205 balls - for the second wicket with Alec Stewart

Chasing 223 for victory, Ramprakash and Stewart made it look so easy on reaching 171 for one before Essex got the breakthrough with Stewart, playing his first match of the season, being caught on the mid-wicket boundary.

Although not quite as fluent as his partner, his 59 runs, from 118 balls, had been entertaining at stages, particularly at the start when he hit three boundaries in five balls from Ashley Cowan.

Ramprakash, in excellent form, batted with complete confidence throughout his 117-ball innings, playing freely and using his feet well against the spinners. His knock was a combination of powerful drives and pulls as well as delicate glances and late cuts. His fifty came from only 59 balls, with four boundaries and a six and his running between the wickets seemed to leave the Essex fielding, at times, in disarray.

Earlier, England captain Nasser Hussain responded with a second consecutive Benson & Hedges Cup half-century after Essex were asked to make first use of a good batting strip at The Oval

Having hit 58 the previous day against Kent at Chelmsford, he featured in a century stand with Stuart Law whose attractive strokeplay took him to fifty from 68 balls

Both batsmen settled quickly after the loss of Darren Robinson, run out without scoring in the first over. Later in the innings Essex suffered another run-out with skipper Ronnie Irani going for 21 after a mix-up with Paul Grayson that had both batsmen heading for the same crease.

Essex had, however, by then been given an excellent start by Hussain and Law. They were going well on 114 for one when Law hit Ian Salisbury firmly between mid-wicket and mid-on where Alistair Brown held a fine catch.

Hussain was the third to fall, for 63 from 104 balls, to a leg-side catch behind the stumps as he tried to glance Adam Hollioake and became the first of the Surrey captain's four victims. After his dismissal Essex rapidly lost four wickets for 22 runs.

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