Opener Nick Browne scored a career-best 143 to lead Essex to a challenging 266 for two as they responded to Surrey's first-innings 340 on day two of the LV= County Championship Division Two match at the Kia Oval.
Browne, who last year became the first Essex batsman to score two unbeaten centuries in the same game against Derbyshire at Chesterfield, shared a rousing opening partnership of 155 in only 41 overs with Jaik Mickleburgh and added another 109 in company with 17-year-old Daniel Lawrence, who is playing only his second championship match.
It made it a chastening day for Surrey, who had started the second day on 293 for five but collapsed once the prolific Steve Davies was out for 81 and lost their last four wickets for no runs in 13 balls.
The left-handed Browne and the right-handed Mickleburgh were only opening together because Tom Westley had broken a thumb in the nets, but they complemented each other perfectly as they went solidly past fifty in the 17th over and accelerated to a hundred in the 27th.
Browne, driving handsomely down the ground and through the covers as well as punishing anything short, was first to his fifty off 88 balls with 11 fours.
Mickleburgh got there four overs later but off six balls fewer with 10 fours, and Surrey captain Gareth Batty must have been wondering where a wicket was coming from when he made a much-needed breakthrough.
He had Mickleburgh leg before for 61 as the opener tried to sweep, but that only seemed to strengthen Browne's resolve as he not only moved assuredly to his century but also found time to encourage the youthful Lawrence, who played some handsome shots of his own in the evening sunshine.
Browne had made his 143 off 245 balls including 26 boundaries when he was caught behind off Matthew Dunn three overs from the close, while Lawrence finished on 48 off 94 balls with five fours and a six.
Earlier, Surrey seemed to be in a commanding position when Davies and Gary Wilson were taking their fifth wicket partnership to 68 and it was a surprise when the former, who was on course to follow his 200 not out against Glamorgan last week with a century, drove David Masters tamely to cover.
Wilson added another 29 with Batty but, having hit six fours in his 46, was leg before to Graham Napier before the tail was swept away.
Monty Panesar had Batty caught at backward square and in the very next over Napier had Tom Curran caught at first slip and yorked Matthew Dunn.
Source: PA
