County Championship: Cameron Steel and Ben Foakes help Surrey recover against Lancashire

Cameron Steel (right) only managed 128 runs in five Championship matches for Surrey during their title-winning campaign last year

England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes produced a timely reminder of his batting qualities as his 76 put defending champions Surrey in an excellent position after day one against Lancashire.

Coming in with his side 44-3 having been asked to bat, Foakes led the recovery in front of watching England director of cricket Rob Key.

He batted for nearly four hours, sharing stands of 87 with Jamie Smith (54) and 75 with Cameron Steel.

Foakes' innings was ended by a brilliant Colin de Grandhomme catch, but Steel carried on to end 86 not out as Surrey finished on 340-7.

Lancashire had inflicted Surrey's only defeat of 2022 in finishing runners-up behind them and they had the visitors under pressure after new captain Keaton Jennings won the toss and put them in on a cold Manchester morning.

Captain Rory Burns was caught behind for one, England number three Ollie Pope made 13 and Ryan Patel was dismissed for four as new ball pair Will Williams and Tom Bailey made early inroads.

Dom Sibley hung around until just before lunch on his first game for Surrey since returning from Warwickshire before he went for 35 to leave his side 77-4.

Foakes was batting at five, two places above his spot in the England order, but rather than the gung-ho Bazball style favoured by the Test team, he needed to dig in for his county.

His last appearance at Old Trafford produced a Test-best 113 not out last summer against South Africa having come in that day at 147-5 and he underlined his ability to bat well in a difficult situation.

His wicketkeeping skills are not in doubt. But with Harry Brook making himself a near-certainty in the middle order, something will have to give if Jonny Bairstow wants to get back in the team when he recovers from his broken leg.

Bairstow has said that he would be happy to keep if asked, so that makes Foakes the player under the spotlight.

So with Key and chief selector Luke Wright watching on, Foakes' reassurance at the crease and calm approach must have impressed them.

As batting got easier after tea, he looked well set for a century until de Grandhomme's one-handed diving catch off Luke Wood saw him depart for 76.

When Jordan Clark (14) was lbw to the new ball to be Bailey's third wicket, Surrey were 278-7, but Steel received great lower order support from Australia all-rounder Sean Abbott (34 not out).

Together they added 62 for the eighth wicket to underline their side's fearsome strength with the bat.

That was the foundation of their Championship success last year with opponents unable to run through the line-up and it was a weary attack who trudged off, having experienced much the same thing.