Warwickshire v Surrey: Mark Stoneman makes another century against Bears

Four of Mark Stoneman's last seven County Championship hundreds have come against Warwickshire

Surrey opening batsman Mark Stoneman made his second century inside 14 days against Warwickshire to help put the visitors on top at Edgbaston.

After resuming on their overnight score of 292-6, the Bears added just 40 more runs to be bowled out for 332, Keith Barker running out of partners on 23.

Surrey lost Rory Burns cheaply before Stoneman and Scott Borthwick (50) put on 116 for the second wicket.

Stoneman (123) and Kumar Sangakkara (98 no) then helped Surrey reach 299-3.

Their 140-run third-wicket stand means Surrey trail by just 33 runs, with seven wickets in hand - and the chance to build a good lead on the third day.

Having been given a life on 83 when he was dropped in the gully by William Porterfield off Chris Wright, former Durham batsman Stoneman's total of 355 runs in three games is now more than any other batsman in the County Championship this season.

But 39-year-old former Warwickshire and Sri Lanka international Sangakkara, who is on 354 runs, needs just two on Sunday morning to go past Stoneman, and claim the 58th first-class century of his career.

Having previously gone five meetings without a win against the Bears, Surrey have won successive matches against Warwickshire - and are now in position to hand the bottom-of-the-table Bears a third straight defeat.

Warwickshire first-team coach Jim Troughton told BBC WM:

"We lost a couple of soft wickets early in the day which was disappointing. We wanted to be batting most of that first session.

"Then the sun came out and made bowling hard work. I wouldn't say we have bowled badly. Surrey have played well. Mark Stoneman has got another hundred and we all know what Kumar can do.

"But the guys kept their heads up and kept plugging away. Hopefully we can get a couple of wickets early tomorrow and get into their bowlers.

"Then it will be a case of the importance of that third innings with the bat. We showed some character in the first innings and have got to do that again."

Surrey opening batsman Mark Stoneman told BBC Radio London:

"It's gone really well for us. All the work that we did in the winter is paying off. As a group, everybody gave everything in that pre-season period and we are getting some results out on the pitch.

"We are looking to have another good day here and kick on and hopefully get ourselves in the ascendancy.

"The nature of the pitch is one of those that, if the bowlers go searching for it a bit, you can score quite quickly but when they settle into a length and just keep bashing away they can dry it up and make life quite tough.

"It ebbed and flowed a bit and wasn't my most fluent innings but I got through a couple of tough spells, one from Rikki Clarke and one from Chris Wright."