Yorkshire v Surrey: Sangakkara torments Yorkshire once more

Sangakkara’s 164 followed scores of 121 in Surrey’s one-day cup quarter-final win at Headingley in June and 180 not out when the sides met there again later that month in a Championship match.

After Surrey took their overnight 398-3 to 592 on day two of the return Championship game at the Oval, Yorkshire replying with 171-1, it was safe to say that the White Rose had seen more than enough of the great Sri Lankan in his final season.

For during the past six months, it has seemed not to matter a jot to the 39-year-old Sangakkara what colour the ball is.

So well did he play here that had the ball been blue, green or even invisible to the naked eye, he would probably still have dispatched it to the boundary with elegant flourish.

This was his seventh century in 12 Championship innings this year and lifted his seasonal tally to 1,250 runs at an average of 113.63, comfortably the highest return in the country.

After observing his latest masterclass from unhappily close quarters, at least some of Sangakkara’s magic seemed to rub off on Yorkshire. Needing 443 just to avoid the follow-on, the visitors also cashed in on the placid pitch, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (78 from 162 balls) and Shaun Marsh (77 not out from 133 deliveries) both making their highest scores for the county.