Mark Butcher carried his bat for his first century of the season as Surrey rushed to 281 all out on the first day of their CricInfo Championship match against Glamorgan at The Oval today.

Butcher, 29 this month, dominated the rain-effected day, hitting 21 fours in 215 balls to record an unbeaten 145.

Glamorgan's seamers took Surrey wickets regularly, with nippy, chest-on right-armer Andrew Davies recording a career-best 3-76.

It was the first time that a Surrey player had carried their bat against Glamorgan. Butcher told CricInfo: "I think we're in a very good position. We managed to get a competitive total and with 280 we're definitely in the game."

With regard to England he said: "I've been playing pretty well for the last one-and-a-half our two months. It was just a shame about the last Test."

The left-hander was the last player to carry his bat for Surrey, making 109* against Somerset in 1998.

Surrey's other four Ashes representatives, in a team of 10 Test players, failed to reach 30 as Darren Thomas (3-69) and season's debutant Davies found bounce and pace in The Oval wicket.

Butcher passed 50 in 65 balls and went in for lunch 69* with Surrey in trouble on 133-5.

When on 70 Glamorgan's captain, Adrian Dale, missed a difficult catch at second slip off Davies – the only chance that Butcher gave.

Until a lengthy last wicket stand of six, Surrey had added 142 in 32 overs after lunch, with captain Martin Bicknell (replacing Adam Hollioake who had a stomach muscle strain), Ian Salisbury and Saqlain carrying on from where Tudor (27) had left off in support of Butcher.

The 30-Test veteran passed 100 in 142 balls, recording his 16th first-class century.

Glamorgan finished on 64-2, losing Jimmy Maher in Bicknell's (who is to have an achilles operation at the end of season) third over.

Three balls later Bicknell clipped Ian Thomas' off bail for his 47th wicket of the season, which left Surrey on top at the close.

© CricInfo