Glamorgan trail by 439 runs after Davies' double hundred

The pre-match hype had all be about Kevin Pietersen's return to county cricket in his campaign to regain a place in the England set-up. Like some of those political campaigners lobbying for their party ahead of the forthcoming General Election, his deeds for 37 minutes yesterday may not have done enough to convince floating voters as other parties took centre-stage at the SWALEC Stadium with Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan maestro sharing in a record fourth wicket stand for Surrey against Glamorgan with Steve Davies as the pair added an unbeaten 213 in the space of 51 overs with each posting sublime hundreds in front of a crowd of not far short of 2,500, after Pietersen had departed for the comparatively modest score of 19.

With fewer people and mobile food outlets in the ground this morning, it might have been a case of After the Lord Mayor's Show, but with fine weather forecast for the next few days and a seemingly docile wicket, Surrey were keen to add further to their already sizeable tally when play began at 11am with Sangakkara unbeaten on 112 and Davies 109 not out. Their stand was already Surrey's best-ever for the fourth wicket against Glamorgan beating the 211 by Graham Thorpe and David Ward at Neath in 1992, as well as the best for that wicket by a visiting team at the Cardiff ground surpassing the 187 added by Niall O'Brien and Rob Newton for Northamptonshire in 2012.

Graham Wagg and Andy Carter resumed the bowling duties with the latter being cover driven for four in his opening over by Davies before bei ng deftly guided through backward point by the same batsman in his next over. Sangakkara's first boundary of the day was also his first false stroke of his innings as he thick-edged Wagg through second slip. In the left-armer's next over, Davies inside-edged a drive to fine-leg, much to the bowler's annoyance!

Davies added another boundary to his tally as he clipped Carter to the ropes at mid-wicket with Surrey securing another bonus point as they reached the 400-mark in the 104^th over. Sangakkara then smeared Wagg high the head of the gully fielder for another four before also inside-edging the ball to fine-leg to further infuriate Wagg. Carter also saw red as in successive deliveries, Sangakkara upper cut him over the slip cordon with a stroke more akin to the shorter form of the game.

Craig Meschede and David Lloyd then returned to the attack with Sangakkara cover-driving the latter for four as the fourth wicket stand approached the 300-mark with Davies also completing his 150 with a deft steer through backward point - his 217^th delivery and 22^nd boundary - before his colleague looked like followed suit with a lofted drive against Meschede. But on 149 his masterclass came to an end as he drove Lloyd to Will Bragg at cover, so ending the stand which had added 294 in 67 overs and had looked like erasing the the highest fourth wicket partnership against Glamorgan which comprised the 315 added by Warwickshire's Willie Quaife and Jack Parsons at Edgbaston in 1927.

This record set in the West Midlands duly remained in the Club's annals as Jason Roy joined Davies in the middle and clipped Lloyd for four to mid-wicket, before late cutting Dean Cosker for three. He then swept and on-drove the spinner for further boundaries as Surrey eased closer and closer to the 500-mark as the luncheon interval approached, but not before Carter had removed Roy who edged to Mark Wallace.

Surrey resumed after lunch on 495/5 with Steven Davies unbeaten on 167 and together with Gary Wilson the sixth wicket pair scampered some quick singles, but with the total on 504 Andy Carter trapped Gary Wilson l.b.w. Davies then late cut Carter to reach a career-best for Surrey but on 177 - and his team on 510 - he lost another partner as Carter struck again, yorking Gareth Batty. Tom Curran came in and, with a declaration looming, put bat to ball, straight-driving Dean Cosker for four.

A drive for two through the covers by Davies against Wagg saw him reach a career-best of 194 before a single by Curran brought up the 550, and shortly afterwards, Davies reached his maiden double-hundred by deftly cutting Cosker for 2 - his 290^th delivery - whereupon the declaration was made given Glamorgan a dozen overs to face before tea.

James Kettleborough and Jacques Rudolph duly began the innings with the Glamorgan captain getting the scoreboard moving by cover driving Matthew Dunn for two and four, before despatching Jade Dernbach through extra cover for another sweetly-timed boundary. Tom Curran then replaced Dunn at the Cathedral Road End, with the all-rounder - like batsman Rory Burns - sporting a hairstyle similar to someone appearing in the Mikado.

Jacques Rudolph and James Kettleborough survived with few alarms the dozen over before the interval and resuming after tea on 21/0, under clear blue skies, the opening pair were looking to further chisel away at the deficit and the target of 414 to avoid being asked to follow-on. Matthew Dunn and Tom Curran continued the bowling with the former being cut for four by Rudolph who continued to play the dominant role.

The Glamorgan captain added another four to his tally by off-driving Curran, whilst Kettleborough posted his first four in less uncertain style as he thick-edged a delivery from Dunn through the slip cordon. Rudolph then flicked Curran off his hips to long-leg, whilst Kettleborough also cut a short ball from Dunn through point but two balls later, and with the total on 47, he edged a ball onto his stumps as he appeared to be leaving the delivery alone.

His departure saw the arrival of the newly-capped Will Bragg to the crease before Rudolph sent a wayward delivery from Dunn screaming through the covers as Glamorgan reached the 50-mark in the 21^st over. Bragg began by steering Curran through the gully for four whilst Rudolph greeted the return of Jade Dernbach by flicking the seamer to the ropes at deep backward square-leg before doing the same to Curran who at times struggled to bowl a consistent line.

Rudolph then steered Dernbach through the gully for four before driving Gareth Batty's first delivery for four through the covers as he completed a 93-ball fifty. Bragg also leg-glanced the spinner for three before Rudolph on-drove, cover drove and square-cut Batty for a trio of high-class fours, the last of which saw Glamorgan reach the 100-mark in the 36^th over. But four runs later Batty ended Rudolph's innings on 69 as he edged a ball from the spinner low to first slip. Colin Ingram then joined Bragg for the remaining six and a half overs with Bragg leg-glancing Batty for four and Ingram both cover- and on-driving Curran as the day ended in bright sunshine at 6.15pm.