Smith takes charge for Surrey despite Pepper defiance

Surrey dismissed Essex for 217 as events on day one at the Kia Oval followed a familiar pattern.

Having won the toss, the champions fielded first on a well-grassed surface and despite Michael Pepper's 75 they bowled Essex out in two sessions.

Australian left-hander Kurtis Patterson led the reply with 51 as Surrey reached 94 for three at stumps, 123 behind.

Pepper provided much of the resistance in front of a crowd of 5,861 and helped Essex's last three wickets add 71 while at the start of the day Surrey didn't use the new ball particularly well. But Surrey have got themselves into a familiar position and will try to bat into the third day before putting Essex back under pressure in their second innings.

There had been the promise of a different story unfolding in the first half hour when Dean Elgar and Paul Walter helped themselves to ten boundaries in the opening eight overs as they posted a half-century stand with few alarms against some unusually indifferent new-ball bowling by Dan Worrall and Nathan Smith. But when Sam Curran, who was making his first Championship appearance of the season, replaced Worrall at the Vauxhall End he broke through with his second ball, which darted off the seam and Elgar edged it to second slip.

From 50 without loss Essex slipped to 95 for four as the Surrey seamers profited from bowling a better length. Walter played well for his 38 but was one of three wickets to fall in 7.4 overs for seven runs as the champions tightened the screw before lunch.

Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes snapped up a simple opportunity when Walter poked at Jordan Clark's outswinger but there was nothing ordinary about his next intervention when he dived in front of first slip to remove Charlie Allison after Smith had switched ends - a fine way for Foakes to claim his 450th catch in first-class cricket.

Smith had a second wicket before lunch and Foakes a third catch after skipper Tom Westley was surprised by extra bounce and Essex would have been in further strife had Jamie Overton, like Curran playing his first Championship game of the season, not dropped straightforward catches at slip to reprieve first Pepper and then Matt Critchley off successive deliveries. Overton took himself out of the cordon but Pepper apart, Essex failed to make the most of their good fortune.

Critchley, aiming to leg, was beaten by Tom Lawes' late inswing and Foakes had his fourth catch - and Worrall his first wicket - when Noah Thain followed an away swinger. Simon Harmer was lbw unwisely offering no shot when Curran switched ends.

But from 146 for seven Pepper led a tail-end revival, first with Shane Snater with whom he added 51 in 65 balls. Snater contributed 28 before edging to second slip in Overton's third over but Pepper brought up Essex's 200 by driving Overton handsomely over long-on for six while adding another 24 with Sri Lankan Kasun Rajitha. Rajitha eventually played on to Smith and Pepper holed out to deep mid-wicket for a season's best 75 from 94 balls with nine fours.

Burns was caught at slip aiming an expansive drive at Jamie Porter and Surrey suffered a setback when Patterson was squared up by Porter shortly after the Australian left-hander had reached an attractive half-century. Nightwatchman Lawes fell in the penultimate over but Surrey are still well placed.