Lancashire's season was kick started by a fine bowling performance on the opening day of their County Championship match against Surrey yesterday.

Gary Keedy was the star of the show, helping to bowl the visitors out for 284 with a fine haul of 4-57.

But it was most definitely Dominic Cork who sparked a Red Rose recovery after the visitors had reached 111-0 at lunch at Old Trafford.

Cork (1-59) resorted to an afternoon passage of short pitched bowling designed to force a mistake out of opening pair Jon Batty (70) and Scott Newman.

And Newman obliged, top edging a ball down Keedy's throat at fine leg for 60. Cork said: "It hadn't worked just bowling normally, trying to hit back of a length and swinging the ball."

"We decided to try a different approach that is a way of capitalising on taking wickets. We try to upset the batsman by bowling halfway down the wicket. Luckily Newman holed out."

Oliver Newby, 3-44, claimed the wickets of Mark Ramprakash, Mark Butcher and Ian Salisbury, a trio of former England players, while Tom Smith got his first two wickets of the season.

Alistair Brown later attempted to drag things back in Surrey's favour, as the wickets tumbled, with a useful 69 - but Keedy expertly mopped up the tail.

"I thought the two young guys, Tom Smith and Oliver Newby, bowled really well to get us back in the game. Hopefully we are able to go and push on into the rest of the match," continued Cork.

"Keeds bowled well with good accuracy and good pace. He also went out and looked like Jayasuriya when he was batting too - that is even better."

The former Derbyshire captain was referring to the left-arm spinner's late stint as night-watchman.

Mohammad Akram removed Iain Sutcliffe lbw early on in the Lancs reply, before Keedy played out the final few overs of day one. His side resume today on 18-1.

"If you know Gary Keedy well, you know that he won't give anything away in the morning."