London - Kevin Pietersen became the fastest batsman to reach 1 000 first-class runs for Surrey before falling relatively cheaply to Essex's New Zealand all-rounder Jesse Ryder in the Second Division of the County Championship on Sunday.
Pietersen, in his 17th innings at this level for Surrey, needed only two balls at The Oval to score the two runs required to surpass the previous Brown Caps record for the quickest 1 000 runs of 18 innings shared by former England batsman Mark Ramprakash and Zander de Bruyn.
But it is big scores that Pietersen, out of the international reckoning since being controversially axed last year following a 5-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia, needs if he is to have a chance of regaining his England place.