The first hundred, completed shortly before lunch, was greeted by the familiar, exuberant and perhaps ever so slightly ostentatious two-footed leap into the air, an indication to some extent of the personal significance of the landmark but more, surely, of how hard Kevin Pietersen had been made to work to reach it.
The fist-pumping that marked the 200 was more restrained but carried a more obvious message – and one happily chanted by a group of supporters in the crowd: “Are you watching, Andrew Strauss?”
The third hundred, however, was sheer carnage, finished with yet another six over midwicket. Again the bat was raised and the smile was unaffected: it was that of a great athlete, at something like the height of his powers, as it was when he left the field, tired but happy, having scored 326 not out, off 373 balls, 34 of which he hit for four and 14 for six.
Timing has always been a feature of Pietersen’s career, both in terms of his individual shot-making and the context in which he has played his most important innings. This extraordinary knock for Surrey at an appreciative Oval appears to have been in vain, however, largely due to his tarnished relationship with Strauss, who officially starts his new role as director of English cricket on Tuesday .
First things first: daft though it may sound, for a long time this was not Pietersen at his very best, although some of the shots he played were genuinely astonishing. Resuming on 35 not out, he found himself up against a Leicestershire attack that was clearly bowling to a plan and for much of the morning the plan worked. Clint McKay, Ben Raine and Charlie Shreck took the pace off the ball and bowled a tight line, trying to frustrate Pietersen and, at the very least, forcing him to work the ball into gaps. With wickets falling at the other end, Pietersen was clearly aware of his responsibilities.
He was dropped for the first time on 96, dancing down the wicket to Jigar Naik, he drove the ball hard back at the off-spinner, who could not cling on to a low chance. On 110 he really should have gone, when he edged Raine straight to Mark Cosgrove at first slip: somehow, Leicestershire’s Australian captain let the ball burst through his hands.
On 165 he skied McKay high back over the bowler’s head: Lewis Hill and Raine looked at each other, Hill took responsibility – and spilled it. On 223 McKay got underneath another top edge running in from long-leg: again the ball went down.
This is to cavil, however, particularly in the context of the third hundred, throughout which Leicestershire had just about every fielder on the boundary. Time and again Pietersen found the gaps, often with a shot of quite outrageous brilliance. The reverse sweep of course: the reverse hit, or swipe, call it what it what you will. One wristy late cut, played at the very last second instead of the pull that had initially been in his mind, almost defied belief.
The straight hitting, as the Leicestershire attack understandably lost its line and length, was brutal: six after six, one very nearly entering the Surrey dressing room, another almost on to the roof of the towering Oval stand. “What a waste of money!” was the next chant to emerge from the ever-growing crowd.
As he went past his previous first-class best of 254 with a crashing square drive played off one knee, it suddenly became clear that 300 was on the cards. By this time Matthew Dunn, Surrey’s No11, was at the wicket and after one leave from McKay shaved the off-stump, Pietersen came down to give him an impromptu lesson, applauding the forward defensive that followed. The thought occurred that the Surrey captain, Gary Wilson, might want to declare, have a few overs at the dispirited Leicestershire openers before the close: there was after all a match to win.
Aware of the situation, Pietersen accelerated: on 298 he survived a huge leg-before appeal from Naik, before smashing the off-spinner over the leg-side to bring up his 300 and the Surrey 500.
Leicestershire’s fielders applauded: they had, after all, played their part in history.
I can now reveal that Andrew Strauss and Tom Harrison asked to see KP tonight. I believe to tell him he wouldn't play for England again.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 11, 2015
