Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and once again Durban’s Jason Roy stepped into the breach for Surrey in the rain-ravaged English county championship on Monday.

His unique flair and derring-do was sorely needed after his mentor Kevin Pietersen fell for just two runs on day one of Surrey’s match against Lancashire.

Roy hammered 143 off 166 balls, with 19 fours and two sixes which made up much of Surrey’s first-innings offering of 435-8. He eventually fell to a catch by Ashwell Prince off the bowling of Zimbabwean Kyle Jarvis, who ended with 3-117.

He came to the crease with the score on 74-4 and put on 236 with his mate Steve Davies (86) for the fifth wicket.

But with two days curtailed by rain, something special will be needed. Prince, who has been  pretty special this season, is waiting to come in for Lancashire, alongside Alviro Petersen.

Jacques Rudolph‘s Glamorgan are in a strong position against Northamptonshire. His team rallied after he was out for one to run up 371, thanks largely to Craig Meschede’s 107. At the close, Northants were 79-5, with Kyle Coetzer out for 0.

Gareth Berg took 2-39 off 13 overs but Worcestershire reeled in Hampshire’s first innings total of 222. They trailed by one run with seven wickets in hand.