After two days spent bending the knee to their title rivals Surrey finally played like the champions they are at Hove yesterday.

After Mushtaq Ahmed had taken two wickets in three balls at the start of the third day they looked like following on. Instead they were able to recover from 216-8 to make 355 and restrict Sussex's first innings lead to 74.

More importantly in the context of the Championship race, they finished up with just one fewer bonus point than their hosts.

Sussex had reached 69-2 in their second innings when light which had been poor for most of the afternoon got bad enough for Murray Goodwin and Chris Adams to accept an offer to go off.

They didn't return after tea and the loss of 37 overs means the game is likely to end in stalemate later today which is a pity after three absorbing days of ebb and flow. Sussex will resume with a lead of 143 and batting Surrey out of contention will surely be their priority. There is still too much of the season left to start taking risks.

The pitch is taking spin, but essentially it is still comfortable for batsmen once they have got used to its slow pace.

Not that it was all that easy for Sussex second time around. James Ormond, his spirits lifted by the part he played in a tenth wicket stand of 54, and Martin Bicknell bowled high-quality spells with the new ball which Sussex did well to survive with only one wicket lost.

Bicknell trapped Richard Montgomerie leg before in his second over while Tony Cottey and Goodwin were subjected to a thorough examination of their technique as the ball seamed and swung under cloudy skies.

Cottey finally freed himself of the shackles by taking ten off one Bicknell over and had moved with increasing confidence onto 41 when a mis-timed pull off Azhar Mahmood lobbed up to square leg. A few minutes later Goodwin, whose 21 runs have so far occupied 28 overs, and Adams were walking off.

Surrey's lower order fightback had been superbly organised by Mark Ramprakash who loves nothing better than scoring runs against Sussex. His excellent 104, which took a shade under five hours, will probably be the most crucial individual contribution in this match and, who knows, in the Championship race itself.

He looked like being left high and dry at the start of the day when Mushtaq swapped ends and immediately had Bicknell leg before playing down the wrong line. In his next over from the sea end, Ian Salisbury was beaten in the flight as he came forward on the drive and Tim Ambrose completed an excellent stumping.

Surrey still required 63 to avoid the follow on and for the next hour Ramprakash and Saqlain Mushtaq adopted a no-risk strategy against some quality bowling from Ahmed and the luckless James Kirtley.

Then, suddenly, Saqlain went through the gears. Perhaps he felt it was his day having just made his ground to beat his compatriot's direct hit from fine leg answering Ramprakash's call for a second run a few moments earlier.

He saved the follow on by lofting Mushtaq for two straight sixes in three balls before handing out similar punishment to Paul Hutchison on his way to a 61-ball half-century full of cuts and pulls.

Sussex must have thought their ordeal was over when Kirtley returned with the new ball and immediately had Ramprakash caught behind. It was his fourth century of the season and 60th of his career. Given the circumstances, it was also one of his best.

Saqlain and Ormond slogged another 55 off 11 overs, the Sussex mood hardly improving when the normally reliable Adams spilled two chances at slip offered by Ormond, the first straightforward, the second much more difficult low to his left.

Robin Martin-Jenkins was the luckless bowler on both occasions but he kept going and ended Sussex's torment when he knocked back Saqlain's leg stump.

But the damage had been done. Surrey's last two wickets had put on 106 with Saqlain's robust contribution 74 off 92 balls with eight fours and three sixes.

Sussex's hopes of reviving their bid for the Second XI Championship were dashed by rain after their clash against Somerset at Taunton was abandoned as a draw.

No play was possible on the final day after rain got underneath the covers.

Scores: Somerset 322 and 211-1; Sussex 312-7 dec.