Kevin Pietersen fails on first county outing as Kumar Sangakkara makes immediate impact for Surrey

Kevin Pietersen in action for Surrey on Sunday (GETTY IMAGES)

If Kevin Pietersen is hoping to prove he still has what it takes to bat his way back into the England team then today was not the day that he managed it.

His presence in the Surrey line-up had attracted more spectators than the SWALEC Stadium normally gets for a regular county game, both in the stands and the press box, but Pietersen could not make the most of his first opportunity to impress this season.

After Surrey had won the toss and chosen to bat, on a sunny but crispy spring day, things seemed perfectly set up for Pietersen to pile on the runs.

His arrival at the crease was delayed until after lunch, Zafar Ansari’s dismissal bringing him into the game with the score at 111/2.

With debutant Kumar Sangakkara at the other end, Surrey had a combined total of 41,616 international runs at the crease and the pair immediately began to show their class.

Pietersen looked in excellent touch, picking up boundaries as easily through midwicket as smashed back over the bowler’s head.

A top-edged pull shot aside, until his dismissal the right-hander had barely played a false shot and looked well set to pick up where he left off last week against Oxford MCCU.

However 28 balls into his innings he drove uppishly at a delivery from Craig Meschede, edging it straight to Colin Ingram at first slip to be dismissed for just 19 runs.

Pietersen’s day might have been over, but Sangakkara’s very much was not and the Sri Lankan master batted on, bringing up his hundred with an expertly placed square drive for four, just before the close.