LANCASHIRE were hurt by a fifth-wicket partnership of 236 in 48 overs between Surrey’s Jason Roy and Steven Davies during yesterday’s second day of their LV= County Championship match at the Oval as the hosts took charge.

Centurion Roy and Davies came together during the latter stages of Sunday’s first day with their team, invited to bat first, in trouble at 74-4 with Kevin Pietersen and Kumar Sangakkara out cheaply.

And they continued the counter-attack they started on Sunday through yesterday’s morning session, which brought the hosts 144 runs from 28 overs.

Roy hit 19 fours and two sixes in 143 off 166 balls and Davies 86 off 153. They both fell in the early stages of the afternoon against the second new ball, but Surrey advanced their first innings to 435-8 from 113 overs at close.

Both of Roy’s sixes came off one Simon Kerrigan over before lunch, which went for 18. He began the day on 21 before reaching 50 off 80 balls.

The 24-year-old made his England T20 debut last summer and his one-day bow against Ireland last month, and he will be hoping for a call-up to play in the forthcoming series against New Zealand.

Lancashire’s bowlers erred in line and length during a damaging morning, which saw Roy score 111 runs and become the first Surrey player since 1990 to score 100 runs before lunch in a first-class day.

Lancashire removed Roy and Davies, caught at gully off Kyle Jarvis and caught at first slip off Tom Bailey, inside the first five overs with the second new ball, leaving the score at 318-6 in the 85th.

But more frustration was to follow courtesy of debutant Ben Foakes, who scored 60 not out.

Foakes shared 78 inside 18 overs for the seventh wicket with Gareth Batty before the latter was trapped lbw by Bailey. Jordan Clark then had Tom Curran caught behind down leg by Alex Davies, leaving Surrey at 408-8 after 105 overs.

Given Lancashire came into this match with a 32-point lead over Surrey at the top of Division Two, a draw would not be a bad result.