Surrey laughing along with Brown

Brown, a previous winner of the award in July 1997 for his Sunday League world-record knock of 203, reflected: "It's an honour to collect two of these statuettes. They will make a great pair of bookends."

The dust has settled on Brown's orgy of drives, cuts, pulls and hooks which rattled into and over The Oval fences, but there is no danger of any of this going to his head. He admitted: "I've got some good friends around me who make sure I stay grounded and then there is my son Max. He is 16 months old and is guaranteed to bring me back to earth every time I get home.

"Obviously I'm delighted with the 268 but it really was just one of those days. I felt very good, it was an excellent wicket with one short boundary and I rode my luck at times.

"When I get everything right - my weight, my head and my feet - it makes the game less complicated. I score quickly and take risks, that's how I play and, if I can go big, then I put us out of reach.

"I thought we were out of reach at 438 but all credit to Glamorgan. They went for it and made an exceptional game of it. I found fielding more tiring mentally than I did batting."

Brown was almost as proud of last month's innings of 188 in the four-day championship victory over Kent and commented: "My form is good in the championship. I was averaging nearly 60 at the end of June and I've hit five 50s in the one-day game. I'm timing the ball well." Talking of good timing, this also happens to be Brown's benefit season, eleven years after his Surrey debut. "I don't think all this has done my benefit any harm," he smiled.

Brown is proud to have one of his heroes, Ian Botham, as a patron of his benefit. He treasures a cartoon that the great man signed some years ago with this inscription: "Good luck, Browny, and don't change."

He certainly hasn't, but there is no sign of an England recall. Discarded last year after his 15th one-day international, Brown said: "I'm philosophical and don't worry about things I can't control. If I can score some big hundreds then they might give me another go.

"I love playing cricket for a living and we've got a close-knit group at Surrey. I hope I've got at least five more years in me but the day I stop enjoying it is the day I retire."

Brown is looking forward to facing Sussex's bowlers on 16 July. He pointed out: "We won there in the Benson & Hedges quarter-finals last year, when I got a century and we went on to win the trophy. It would be nice to take the same route through in the C&G.

"This is the one domestic medal I am missing, as I've been in two championship-winning sides and won one each in the B&H and the Sunday League."

Surrey's cricket manager Keith Medleycott praised the Brown bomber: "I can't believe we'll ever see another day's cricket like that one against Glamorgan or an innings to match Alistair's.

"To keep that quality control through 50 overs was quite remarkable, but then he's a remarkable cricketer. It's nonsense to label him as a pinch-hitter and a slogger. He is so much more than that."