Stoneman in fine form with ton for Surrey

Mark Stoneman batted with the assurance of a man who knows he should be Ashes-bound this winter to score a dominant 131 as Surrey cruised to 398 for three on day one of their Specsavers County Championship match against Yorkshire at the Kia Oval.

There were also significant runs for Rory Burns, who made 75, and Kumar Sangakkara, who marked his return from the Caribbean Premier League by reaching a sublime 85 not out late in the day, while Ben Foakes is also unbeaten on 64.

Sangakkara has now scored 1,171 championship runs this summer, at an average of 117.10, and the Sri Lankan is joined in the top three of Division One runmakers by Stoneman (959) and Burns (922).

Wicketkeeper-batsman Foakes, whose strokeplay lost nothing in comparison with Sangakkara’s in the final session, cruised past 550 championship runs for the summer.

Stoneman, back with his county after quietly impressing for England against the West Indies in his maiden Test series, in which he averaged 30 in three matches, included 22 fours in a fine innings.

There were 11 fours in his first 50, which arrived after just 58 balls, and he was joined by an almost equally fluent Burns in an opening stand eventually worth 178 in 41 overs.

Burns, who reached his half-century just before lunch, was adjudged caught at the wicket off Jack Brooks in the 41st over, aiming towards midwicket to a ball which pitched in line with his pads - a decision he did not seem pleased with after striking 12 fours from 124 balls.

Stoneman finally fell in the 57th over, edging a slash at a short ball from Tim Bresnan to slip. It was the 20th century of his first-class career and his fourth of this season.

Yorkshire’s attack, already missing England one-day trio Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid and David Willey, was made to look toothless by the two lefthanded openers after Surrey won a toss and chose to bat on a good-looking pitch and in warm sunshine.