Mark Ramprakash's appetite for heavy duty run-scoring against Sussex seems as healthy as ever.

The Surrey batsman chalked up his eighth century against the county on another frustrating day for Chris Adams and his men at Hove yesterday.

Add in a 97 and six fifties and the 36- year-old has now scored 2,039 runs against Sussex - more than against any other team. He has power to add today, resuming on 122 with Surrey 311-2.

Given that he has now lodged 91 first-class centuries and is closing in on 30,000 career runs, you get an idea of the extent to which Sussex bowlers have suffered since he made his first hundred against them 16 years ago.

During another peerless exhibition yesterday Adams may even have been tempted to throw the ball to Tony Pigott who w a s watching from the sponsors' tent.

At least Lester has got Ramprakash out before. Mind you it was in 1991.

The Sussex attack stuck to their task manfully but they were right to fear the worst after Adams maintained his record of not winning a toss so far this season and Surrey, one of only two counties below Sussex in the Championship at start of play, set about establishing their advantage on a good pitch.

There was a glimmer of hope shortly after lunch when Rana Naved removed Jon Batty and Surrey were 112-2. And the whole complexion of the day would have changed had Sussex held their catches.

Instead, Butcher and Ramprakash added an unbroken 199 for the third wicket and long before the close Sussex supporters had settled for enjoying the quality of Ramprakash's strokeplay and in particular the time he seemed to have to play his shots, off front foot and back - always the hallmark of a good player.

Apart from Owais Shah, it is hard to remember anyone giving Mushtaq Ahmed such a hard time either.

He never allowed the leg-spinner to settle, sweeping him off his length, pulling anything short with murderous intent or drilling over-pitched deliveries effortlessly through the covers.

But Sussex have already paid dearly for dropping their catches and quite how much worse it gets will depend on their ability to make quick inroads with a new ball only four overs old today.

On 12, and having hit the previous ball from Mushtaq over long off for six, Ramprakash took on Chris Nash's arm at mid off and would have been well short had the throw hit rather than bounced over the stumps.

Luke Wright, diving at full stretch to his right, failed to hold on to a stinging slog-sweep at mid-wicket when Ramprakash was 75 and then Andrew Hodd, in his first Championship game for over a year, reprieved his former colleague off a regulation edge when he had added just four more.

But don't let that give you the impression that it was a sketchy innings. Far from it, and when the batsmen accepted the offer to go off for bad light with 17 overs remaining Adams was only too glad to have the opportunity to re-group.

Butcher was happy to play in the shadow of his partner for much of the day but he grew in confidence, especially after Adams put down a kneehigh chance at second slip off Robin Martin-Jenkins when he had just reached double figures.

Wright had made the breakthrough in the 29th over when Scott Newman wasted two hours of careful reconnaissance when he top-edged a hook to long leg.

Batty was pinned onto the back foot by Rana and edged to third slip but that was as good as it got for Sussex.

Mindful of the injury problems which have blighted Sussex in the first month of the season, Adams employed his attack carefully.

Naved had six overs with the new ball and did not return until after lunch while Wright and Martin-Jenkins did their fair share.

But on a pitch with so little margin for error any indiscretions were punished ruthlessly while James Kirtley, who has now bowled 73 fruitless overs in search of his 600th first-class wicket, also found it tough.