Surrey reach 400/5 when rain brings an early finish at Colwyn Bay

Surrey enjoyed the better of the opening day of this contest, and Glamorgan knew that they would be facing a mountain to climb - as high as nearby Snowdonia - if they did not make inroads in the morning. In the final session yesterday Rory Burns and Zafar Ansari had, largely untroubled, added an unbroken 121 to lay the foundation for a potentially large total. Burns had been the more assertive in compiling a 79-ball fifty whilst Ansari, as befitted someone whose parents are leading academics in the History Department of Royal Holloway University of London, adopted a more studious approach in completing his half-century from 131 balls.

Michael Hogan and Jim Allenby returned to the attack with Burns on-driving Hogan for four in the opening over before two overs later pulling the Australian for four, followed by a savage cut for four. Burns then twice clipped Hogan to the mid-wicket boundary as the total went past the 150-mark. Ansari, who in his youth had also been a talented musician, was content to play second fiddle again but he square-drove Allenby for four before clipping Hogan to fine-leg.

Burns then greeted Smith by square-cutting him for four before despatching him through the covers, but next over the opener perished with the total on 182 and his own score three short of a century as he miscued another back foot stroke and spooned a ball to Jacques Rudolph at mid-off. Arun Harinath duly replaced the dejected Burns and he opened his account by edging Smith through the slips before greeting the return of Will Owen by punching him off the back foot through the covers for four, followed by a deft leg-glance for four.

Harinath continued in assertive mode as he drove Cosker straight for six followed by a sweep for four with his aggression prompting the return of Hogan into the attack whilst Allenby returned in spin mode shortly before lunch.

Resuming after lunch on 239/1, with Zafar Ansari seventeen short of his century, and Arun Harinath five short of his fifty, Ruaidhri Smith and Dean Cosker continued the bowling with Ansari steering the latter through extra cover for the first boundary of the session. Harinath then completed his fifty from 57 balls before Glamorgan took the new ball after 81 overs. Harinath guided the first delivery from Smith to the vacant third man position, with Michael Hogan returning at the Embankment End.

With his third delivery with the new cherry, the Australian ended Harinath's innings as he edged to second slip before next ball removing Vikram Solanki as he was caught at third slip attempting to drive with Surrey on 280/3 as the Welsh county claimed their first bowling point. Steven Davies survived the hat-trick ball before cover-driving both Smith and Hogan.

Davies also flicked Hogan to square-leg for four before punch-driving Smith square of the wicket on the off-side for another boundary. Ansari then completed his second Championship hundred from 267 balls after five and three-quarter hours of watchful application. Davies duly greeted the return of Jim Allenby by driving him through mid-wicket for four, followed by a crisp off-drive against Hogan to secure another boundary. But with the total on 316 he departed l.b.w. to Allenby.

Jason Roy got off the mark by off-driving Allenby to the ropes before Ansari reached his career-best with a leg glance against Owen, but in the 98^th over it started to rain and an early tea was called with Surrey leading by 91 runs.

A torrential downpour had brought an early tea at 3.20pm and after the mopping up operations were completed, play resumed at 5.10pm with the loss of sixteen overs from the day's allocation and 24.5 overs remaining to be bowled. Three overs after the re-start Jason Roy survived a chance to the slip cordon when he edged Allenby, and next over he drilled Hogan through the covers for four.

Ansari had collected half-a-dozen singles by the time he under-edged a drive against Allenby onto his stumps and departed for a career-best 112 with the total on 345. Roy then saw Surrey to the 350-mark and another batting point by bludgeoning successive fours from Ruaidhri Smith, before unleashing a coruscating cover drive against the youngster, followed next ball by a savage pull. He then drilled Hogan through mid-off before taking successive fours off Will Owen en route to a 55-ball fifty.

It then started to rain again and the players left the field after 115 overs with Surrey on 400/5. With the rain still falling the umpires called off play for the day shortly afterwards, with 23 overs having been lost.