County Championship: Kumar Sangakkara hits another century

Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara has made scores of 166, 9, 118, 60 and 101 in his last five innings for Surrey in all competitions
LV= County Championship Division Two, Kia Oval (day two, close)
Surrey 378-8: Sangakkara 101, S Curran 52no; Chambers 2-33, White 2-79
Northants: Yet to bat
Surrey 4pts, Northants 2pts
Match scorecardexternal-link

Kumar Sangakkara hit his fifth Championship century of 2015 to keep Surrey on course for the Division Two title against Northants at The Oval.

The Sri Lankan made 101 as the match began after a first-day washout.

Sangakkara hit a six and 13 fours and shared half-century stands with Steven Davies (21) and Jason Roy (32).

He was caught behind off Rob Keogh (2-115), but Sam Curran, 17, saw them to 378-8 at stumps with an unbeaten 52, his maiden first-class half-century.

Form guide favours Surrey
Surrey are unbeaten in their last seven Championship games this season, winning five of them - and have not lost to Northants in the last nine four-day meetings between the two sides.

Curran hit a six and eight fours off 87 balls, offering further evidence of his potential as a future all-rounder.

He added 71 with Gary Wilson (49) and his first task on the third morning will be to help them eke out the remaining 22 runs required for a fifth batting bonus point.

Surrey need a maximum of 17 points from the game to seal the title, depending on Lancashire's result against Essex in a match which also lost the opening day to rain.

Surrey wicketkeeper Gary Wilson told BBC London 94.9:

"It was a pretty good day, it was tough conditions. Credit to the openers, I thought they saw off the new ball pretty well.

"It wasn't easy, there was a bit of spin there as well as seam, so hopefully if we can push on and get to 400 and look to bowl well we can put them under pressure.

"I don't think I'm qualified to say how good he [Sangakkara] is, it's amazing he's got the hunger to keep doing it and he does it for us in every format as well."