Butcher double hundred puts Surrey in charge

Mark Butcher and his Surrey batting colleagues treated the Glamorgan bowlers with disdain on their way to a massive 572-3 and a lead of 314 runs on the third day of the CricInfo Championship match in Cardiff.

Butcher finished with an unbeaten 215 to his name, Adam Hollioake made 97, Michael Carberry a career-best 84 and Alistair Brown was 67 not out at the close of a day peppered with attacking shots on both sides of the wicket.

Butcher's 200 - the second double century of his career - came after 405 minutes of intense concentration and included 20 fours. But he is unlikely to get the chance to extend his innings on the final day.

His only blemish came when he had scored 87 and called for a quick single. Hollioake had pushed the ball just a couple of yards down the wicket and if wicket-keeper Mark Wallace, who sprinted around the stumps to grab it, had been more accurate with his throw Butcher would have been on his way.

Butcher shared stands of 135 and 199 for the second and third wickets with Carberry and Hollioake and 20-year-old Carberry gave notice of his potential by reaching his maiden Championship half-century off 141 balls with eight fours. He then struck Dean Cosker back over his head for six but the bowler soon gained his revenge by holding one back and inducing a straightforward catch to mid-on.

Hollioake brought up his half-century by lifting Robert Croft on to the roof of the media centre but fell three short of what would have been his first ton of the season when he was trapped leg before in his crease by a ball of yorker length from Darren Thomas.

Brown started slowly but soon joined in the carnage and moved to 50 off 97 balls with six fours.