Australian-born off-spinner Andy Gray showed why Yorkshire coach Wayne Clark wants to put him on contract next season by grabbing three wickets for one run in ten balls at The Oval yesterday to peg back Surrey's advance.

After bowling out Yorkshire's weakened side for 235, Surrey were in full cry at 208 for 2 when Scarborough player Gray suddenly intervened.

Adam Hollioake was the first to go, carelessly slapping a catch to Vic Craven at mid-wicket, but there was nothing wrong with Gray's next two dismissals off consecutive balls a couple of overs later.

Alistair Brown, beaten through the air, drove back a low catch, and Alec Stewart got an inside edge into his stumps to leave Ben Hollioake to survive the hat-trick ball from Gray, who played for Wilberfoss in the York and District Senior league a few seasons ago.

They were three notable scalps for Gray whose only previous Championship match was against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road a few weeks' ago. And he would have been even better pleased had he held on to a catch running in from square leg offered by Mark Ramprakash when only one.

Ramprakash, assisted by Ben Hollioake, went on to stage a recovery which took Surrey to 291 for five at the close when they had once again seized the initiative.

Mark Butcher and Ian Ward, began their reply with a stand of 164 for the first wicket - the only century opening partnership against Yorkshire this season.

They had put on 25 in six overs by lunch and after the interval Butcher dominated to such an extent that he scored 36, mainly off Matthew Hoggard, while Ward was adding a single.

Butcher's 50 came from just 51 balls while Ward needed 93 deliveries to get to his half century and the two left-handers were so firmly in control that captain David Byas called up Anthony McGrath to try his medium pacers.

McGrath in the morning had completed his first century of the season and he was soon celebrating a rare wicket as Butcher shaped to drive and gave a low catch to Byas at slip for a rousing 90 off 151 balls.

Yorkshire came out a lot sharper after tea and Ramprakash would have gone quickly if Gray had held on when Hoggard's short ball flew out of control.

In his next over, Hoggard dismissed Ward lbw driving from the crease for 63 and with Gray's three strikes Surrey found themselves stumbling along at 222 for five but they were picked up by strong attacking batting from Ramprakash and Ben Hollioake who each blasted a six over mid-wicket, Hollioake plundering 16 off Richard Dawson in one over.

Ramprakash's 50 used up 77 balls and contained eight fours. He was 53 at stumps with Hollioake on 43 and the flourishing partnership worth 69.

Earlier, Yorkshire would never have got anywhere near their final score of 235 but for McGrath's invaluable contribution of 116 not out which spanned 321 minutes during which time he faced 272 balls and hit 11 fours and a six.

Resuming on 179 for 5, the last five wickets could add only 56 runs against the spin of Saqlain Mushtaq and Ian Salisbury, 47 of them being made by McGrath who remained untroubled by the turning ball