More than a few eyebrows were raised after Stewart Walters became Surrey's fourth choice as captain this season, when he was put in charge for this match. But if there were any doubters following the Brown Caps' perky performance in the field, which nevertheless failed to deny Essex a decent first innings total, most of them will have been won over by Walters's unbeaten 86 off 156 balls, which has so far seen him hit 13 fours and a six.

When the 26-year-old came in, his side were struggling at 29-2. That became 66-3 when Jonathan Batty, who, having looked less than secure, edged Graham Napier to second slip. But with Walters finding a staunch ally in Usman Afzaal, Surrey were hauled out of trouble thanks to their fourth wicket partnership of 153 in 41 overs.

Michael Brown had made a confident start, pulling Tony Palladino for four in the second over, driving David Masters to the extra cover boundary in the seventh and despatching Palladino for leg-side fours in successive overs. But then the 29-year-old opener, driving, was caught at first slip.

Five overs later, 28-1 became 29-2 when Mark Ramprakash, who only has one hundred against Essex, was caught down the leg-side off Masters for nought. The look of surprise on Ramprakash's face may have had something to do with the fact that it was only his second duck in 102 first-class innings.

Walters brought up the fifty for the Brown Caps with an on driven four off Napier, which he followed up with a flick to the boundary at deep backward square leg. In the 29th over, Afzaal hit Napier for four fours. Two overs later Walters drove Masters to the extra cover boundary before pulling Palladino through wide mid-on for four to go to tea with 31 against his name.

After the break, Afzaal despatched James Middlebrook either side of the wicket for boundaries. Walters then deposited the 32-year-old off-spinner over long-on and in the next over, bowled by Masters, brought up his first championship half-century for two years in 80 deliveries.

Afzaal's fifty was 65 balls in the making. Three overs after reaching it the former England batsman was dropped at deep cover point off the bowling off Napier, whom he then despatched for successive fours, the first to third man and the next through extra cover, in the 55th over.

Walters brought up the 200 for Surrey in the 62nd over, by flicking ten Doeschate to the rope at fine leg, though not before bettering his highest first-class score by on driving Napier for four. The last ball of the day's play was sent to the extra cover boundary by Afzaal, who finished with an unbeaten 80.

Earlier, resuming on 317-7, the visitors added a further 84 runs in the morning session. Ryan ten Doeschate on drove Jade Dernbach's first ball of the day for four. In the following over Middlebrook despatched Andre Nel to the rope at mid-wicket in similar fashion.

The first of two successive fours to ten Doeschate off Chris Schofield brought up the 350 in the 110th over. But his good work was undone three overs later when Middlebrook mis-timed a pull to give Ramprakash a simple catch at mid-wicket and Chris Jordan his career best bowling figures.

In the 118th over, Tim Linley was re-introduced at the Railway End and the former Sussex and Oxford UCCE seamer struck with his sixth ball, when Masters, attempting a back foot cover drive, handed Batty his fifth catch of the innings.

Ten Doeschate moved to 150 and his highest score for Essex, in 224 deliveries, in the next over with a two to square leg off Jordan. Shortly after the visitors missed out on maximum batting points, Palladino worked Linley to the rope at mid-wicket before driving to him to short extra cover where Dernbach, diving forward, pulled off a good catch to leave ten Doeschate undefeated on 159.

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