Having been given the perfect platform to build a monumental innings, Surrey squandered the opportunity with a performance which totally lacked application.

After losing their second wicket on 171 with Ian Ward falling lbw to Matthew Hoggard for a patient, three-hour 63, they lost their next three wickets rapidly to be reduced to 222 for five.

The damage was inflicted by off-spinner Andy Gray, an Australian with a British passport who had been playing club cricket for Scarborough and has impressed enough to be included for his second Cricinfo Championship match in addition to a few one-dayers.

Gray produced an inspired ten-ball spell which brought him three wickets for one run. He had Adam Hollioake caught at short mid-wicket, driving uppishly, then two overs later, took a return catch from Ally Brown and bowled Alec Stewart for a first-ball duck.

Mark Ramprakash with his fifth first-class half-century this season steadied the innings. Having been dropped on one by Gray off Matthew Hoggard, he was not out on 53 along with Ben Hollioake whose 43 included six boundaries and two sixes. They saw Surrey to 291 for five at stumps, a lead of 56.

The London side had been given a marvellous start by their opening batsmen Mark Butcher and Ward after dismissing Yorkshire in the first innings for 235.

Butcher, who has been in excellent form both in international and domestic cricket this seaso,n continued his run spree with a brilliant knock which ended ten short of a well deserved century, ten minutes before tea, which was taken on 167 for one.

Ward, playing an equally good innings although at a slower pace, was 61 not out at the end of the second session having reached fifty from 93 balls and hitting five boundaries. It was his first, first-class half-century in 24 innings, having hit fifty in early May at Northampton.

He had shared a stand of 164 in 44 overs with Butcher whose fifty had come with some speed from only 54 balls and with the help of eight fours. None of the six bowlers used by Yorkshire was able to make an impression on him until Anthony McGrath, who top-scored for Yorkshire earlier, came on to bowl.

He succeeded in getting the breakthrough, having Butcher caught at slip as he edged his drive. He had faced 153 balls with 52 of his runs coming from boundaries.

Yorkshire had lost quick wickets in the morning session with the five remaining from overnight falling in just over an hour and a half's play for the addition of 56 runs to the 179 that they scored on the first day.

Ian Salisbury began the slide, taking the wicket of Richard Dawson in his first over without a run being scored and then in his fourth over he had Gray caught for three and Yorkshire were 197 for seven.

It was then Saqlain Mushtaq's turn to get among the wickets after his fine long spell yesterday without a dismissal. He sent back Simon Guy from a bat/pad catch without scoring ,despite facing 25 balls, and then trapped Steve Kirby, who had taken 30 balls to get off the mark, leg before wicket for two, from 49 balls.

Yorkshire were 234 for nine and a run later the innings was wound up with Salisbury claiming his fourth victim, for 49, as Hoggard fell lbw.

While wickets tumbled at the other end, McGrath progressed confidently, taking his overnight 69 to an unbeaten 116, nearly half of his side's total. It came from 272 balls and included 11 boundaries and the only six of the innings which he hit over wide mid-wicket off Saqlain whose two wickets today cost 24 runs.

It had been a most responsible innings from McGrath, spanning nearly five and a half hours at a time when Yorkshire urgently needed it.

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