Warwickshire exploited perfect batting conditions to pile up 665-5, their record score against Surrey, on the second day of the County Championship Division One match at Edgbaston.
Tom Latham struck 184 (319 balls), the highest score by a Warwickshire debutant, Ed Barnard harvested a career-best 177 not out (254) and Zen Malik helped himself to a maiden century – 105 not out (119) – as batters gorged themselves on a road of a pitch.
Surrey then embarked upon the long haul towards the follow on figure of 516 and reached 98-1 at the halfway point of a match which will require some spectacular bowling if it is not to end in a draw.
Just two wickets fell from a full quota of overs on the second day.
After Warwickshire resumed on the second morning on 364-4, Latham and Barnard extended their partnership to 169 in 37 overs.
Latham reached 150 from 263 balls and, after 400 minutes at the crease, was chugging towards a double-century in untroubled fashion when, to unanimous surprise, he edged Tom Lawes to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.
A debut double-ton eluded the New Zealander but his 184 is the highest by a player on his first class debut for Warwickshire, displacing the 173 by John Whitehouse against Oxford University at The Parks in 1971.
Surrey should have immediately added another wicket in the next over when Barnard, on 78, chopped Dan Lawrence to point but 12th man James Taylor put down the simplest of catches.
Barnard fully exploited the reprieve to advance to his ninth first class century as Malik, playing only his second first class game, settled in alongside him.
Malik’s maiden ton arrived in the last over before tea, the pair having banished the oldest partnership record for Warwickshire against Surrey from the history books, their 215 beating the 199 by Dick Lilley and Charles Baker at The Oval in 1906.
After the teatime declaration it was the turn of Warwickshire’s bowlers to suffer. Ethan Bamber (9-2-14-0) bowled the best spell of the match so far and Barnard’s happy day continued when he trapped Rory Burns lbw.
But Ryan Patel got off the mark by pulling Beau Webster for six and, alongside former Warwickshire favourite Dominic Sibley, saw it through to the close to lay a solid foundation for Sunday’s grind towards that lofty follow on figure.
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