LV=County Championship Division Two

Kia Oval: Day 2: Surrey 448. Gloucestershire 102-7. Close.

BEN Foakes, the England Lions wicketkeeper-batsman, and Tom Curran, the emerging 22-year-old fast-medium bowler, shared the honours as Surrey stepped up their promotion challenge by taking complete control of their game against Gloucestershire at the Kia Oval.

Foakes, 22, scored 118, his fourth first-class century but his first since joining Surrey from Essex at the end of last season, to lead his side to an intimidating first innings total of 448 and Curran took five for 17, including four for nine in his first six overs, to reduce Gloucestershire to 102 for seven.

It was slow going at first as Foakes, 57 overnight, and Gary Wilson, the Ireland wicketkeeper who is keeping in this match, took their sixth wicket partnership to 83 before Wilson was well caught by Will Tavare at third slip off Liam Norwell.

At that stage, Foakes had gone 12 overs without scoring a run but he got going again in a seventh wicket stand of 46 with James Burke, who had made 18 when he was leg before to James Fuller, back in the Gloucestershire attack with a heavily bandaged left hand  after cutting it when he made a diving stop on the matting covering an adjacent pitch the day before.

Foakes went on to complete his hundred off his 188th ball  when he tried to cut Norwell and edged over a leaping Michael Klinger at first slip for his 12th four and then the runs began to flow.

Gareth Batty plundered 50 off 43 balls including eight fours as 80 runs came from 16 overs for the eighth wicket before the deserving Norwell had both Batty and Foakes caught at mid on to finish with a creditable five for 112 from 34.5 overs.

Then Curran, son of Kevin, the late Zimbabwe and Gloucestershire all-rounder, showed why he is already on England’s radar. He had Chris Dent caught behind off his second ball and then, just as Will Tavare and Michael Klinger were threatening to give Gloucestershire some kind of foundation, he bowled them both in successive overs.

In his next over, Curran had Ian Cockbain caught at mid on and there was no respite when he gave way to James Burke who promptly stuck up his left hand to take a return catch from Benny Howell.

Gloucestershire were reeling at 50 for five and though Hamish Marshall and Geraint Jones put a brave face on it all in a sixth wicket stand of 47 Burke broke it by bowling  Jones for 30 and Curran returned to bowl Jack Taylor with the last ball of the day.