County Championship: Surrey lose the toss but Ben Foakes hits ton to hurt Bears

Ben Foakes made his 16th first-class century - and his 10th for Surrey

Ben Foakes' fine 112 not out, along with half-centuries from former Warwickshire and England opener Dom Sibley, Jamie Smith and Cameron Steel propelled title favourites Surrey to 339-4 on day one of their County Championship with Warwickshire.

The Bears, with a game in hand in fourth place, trailed Surrey by 56 points at the start of a match they must win to maintain any slim title interest.

But, after being put in, the county champions proved more than a match for the Warwickshire attack.

Surrey lost Rory Burns and Ryan Patel in the first 12 overs as they stumbled initially to 31-2.

Burns, on 11, edged fit-again Chris Rushworth low to third slip and Patel managed only a couple of pleasing drives before Ed Barnard angled one through his defences from round the wicket.

Smith immediately began to take on the Warwickshire seamers, skipping a couple of short steps down the pitch to hit the otherwise economical Barnard for two fours in three balls.

Henry Brookes' first three overs cost 25 as Smith and Sibley both cashed in on some wayward deliveries.

But Warwickshire sensed they might be back in the fight when Barnard beat Smith with a ball angled in, beating an attempted whip past mid on to pluck out off stump after deflecting off his pads.

Sibley was then joined by Foakes for a stand of 57 in 16 overs before, wastefully, he ran himself out.

After driving Danny Briggs straight to mid on, he called his partner for a sharp single and was, correctly, sent back.

Foakes, who had actually done well to avoid the ball, did not move as Hannon-Dalby picked up and threw to the keeper's end to run Sibley out by yards.

By tea Steel had helped Foakes steer Surrey to 224-4 and, in the day's last session, the pair kept the scoreboard ticking steadily.

Steel hit one memorable extra cover four off Bears skipper Will Rhodes and Foakes, who had completed his half-century on the stroke of tea, punched Rhodes through mid on for one of the 16 boundaries in his third Championship hundred of the season.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.