By Peter Deeley at the Oval
Second day of four (no play first day)
IN different conditions Devon Malcolm would have regarded his baptism of fire on this particular ground for his new county Northamptonshire as a happy omen.
After all, the Oval has been the setting over the years for his greatest England triumphs. Who will ever forget that blistering performance against South Africa four years ago when his second innings nine for 57 - the sixth-best analysis in Test history was instrumental in squaring the series.
With South Africa back this summer, Malcolm believes that his switch from Derbyshire, after 17 seasons, could be the launch-pad for an England comeback after a year in the Test wilderness.
``There is a lot of life and ambition left in me to play for England again,'' he said. But Malcolm's most fiery moments at the Oval have come towards the end of a summer, when the pitches are hard and dry. Any comparison with yesterday's weather is coincidental.
The first day was washed out and when the game finally got under way, the only signs of life on the public terracing were five hardy individuals and the Oval cat, which quickly decided it was warmer inside.
Northants' new captain Kevin Curran put Surrey in after winning the toss and handed the new ball to Malcolm, whose eight-over spell was at least largely on line. Near the end he almost won a leg-before decision against Mark Butcher.
As Curran observed: ``Devon did well and kept a good line - you can't ask for much more in these conditions. The ball is getting very wet.''
The weather continued to disrupt play through the day. After an opening stand of 67 with Jason Ratcliffe, Butcher eventually fell to Paul Taylor, driving uppishly to point where Graeme Swann took the catch on his championship debut. After two stoppages Surrey were 82 for one by late afternoon.
Day 4: Brown hits 72-ball hundred (no play day 3)
By Peter Deeley at the Oval
ALISTAIR BROWN enlivened a rain-ruined game with one of those barnstorming hundreds which have become his hallmark. This one came off 72 balls in 76 minutes and is the quickest authentic county century for nearly two years.
In his first year, 1992, Brown hit three which took him 71, 78 and 79 balls. As a keen golfer no doubt he will want to start shooting in the 60s before long.
Off-spinner Graeme Swann, on his championship debut, was the unfortunate recipient of most of Brown's savagery. Swann's early overs showed much promise, gaining bounce and turn on a puddingy pitch and getting Nadeem Shahid stumped down the leg side by David Ripley.
Swann's first six overs went for only 20 runs. Then came the Brown hammer - four sixes - and 71 runs in the last seven, including overs which went for 15, 18 and 19. David Capel, too, was twice lifted high over the ropes.
Altogether 289 overs were lost to the weather yet a challenging finale was possible had the captains, Kevin Curran and Adam Hollioake, been able to agree on a fair fourth innings target.
That they did not led to an element of farce. Curran deserves credit for persisting with his front-line bowlers but he showed his displeasure by declaring Northants' first innings to prevent Surrey gaining a bowling point - which meant the visitors followed on for the final 13 overs. It was the ultimate irony when Hollioake had to go off in the final moments with blood running down his face after fielding a drive.
Surrey reached maximum batting points with Jason Ratcliffe reaching his half-century in 72.5 hours. Actually, it started on Saturday morning and finished just before lunch yesterday when Devon Malcolm claimed his first wicket in new colours.