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25 Surrey in 1909 indicate a figure of 246. This innings confirmed Sharp’s fine early-season form, and no doubt contributed to his selection for his Test debut at Headingley ten days later. Nine of the ten Lancashire wickets were taken by players now thought of more as batsmen, though both were regular bowlers too: Hayes’ leg-breaks brought him 5-94 (his first five-wicket haul since May 1906), while Alan Marshal’s fast-medium brought him 4-56 (his best innings figures of a season in which he took just 22 wickets). With ten minutes of play remaining, Surrey began their first innings with, in effect, two night-watchmen – the captain Leveson Gower and wicket- keeper Strudwick. It was an eventful ten minutes. Fast bowler Walter Brearley, who had earlier played a belligerent innings of 26, seems to have been in a similar mood with the ball, for after Leveson Gower had scored the first two runs off the bat of the Surrey innings, he was “badly hit on the hand by a ball from Mr Brearley and had to retire” ( The Times ). This brought the day’s proceedings to a slightly premature close, with Surrey on 4-0. Given the threatening weather forecast, it was probably ‘Advantage Lancashire’ after Day 1, but at least Surrey had all their principal batsmen intact for the morning. Meanwhile 20 miles away at Reigate, Oxford’s batsmen had been making hay even more rapidly against Surrey’s limited attack. Before an attendance described in the Surrey Mirror as ‘disappointing’, local boy Harry Budgen was given the honour of bowling the first over, but it was not until after lunch that the first breakthrough was made. Malcolm Salter, 97* at lunch, went to his maiden century (out of 143) soon after, and was eventually caught at mid-on off Morice Bird, the seventh bowler tried by Surrey. Salter’s 152 included 18 fours, and came in 220 minutes. Soon after his dismissal Arnold Seitz reached his own maiden century, after two hours’ batting. His dismissal for 120, made in 135 minutes with 21 fours, gave Harry Budgen his first-ever first-class wicket, in his third match and nearly five years after his debut. By now Oxford had already passed the total that Lancashire were to reach in almost the full day at The Oval, but there was plenty more to come. Vigorous batting from the University captain Christopher Hurst (whose stand with Charles Hooman added 53 in 20 minutes) and left-hander Richard Sale took the score along ever more rapidly, and close of play came with Oxford in the healthy position of 465-6. By the end of the day Hooman (73*) was reportedly “flogging the tired bowling to his heart’s content”. At both The Oval and Reigate, Surrey’s fielding had deteriorated as the day went on, with chances being missed at both grounds. Day 2 – Tuesday 22 June 1909 The forecast rain came overnight on 21/22 June, and conditions for the second day at The Oval and at Reigate were very different from those on the previous day. At The Oval the rain “rob[bed] the wicket of much of its previous perfection” ( Manchester Guardian ), while at Reigate there were