A quirk in the fixture list could scupper Murray Goodwin and Richard Montgomerie's chances of winning the race to be the first batsman to score 1,000 runs.

Montgomerie's fourth hundred of the summer in the drawn Championship match against Middlesex at Lord's yesterday took his aggregate to 899 runs while his team-mate is on 930 after scoring 61 and 69.

But Sussex don't start their next Championship match, against second division leaders Hampshire at Hove, until Friday, two days after most of the next round of games get underway.

Kent's David Fulton is currently the leading run scorer with 958 ahead of their match against Lancashire at Canterbury tomorrow.

And Essex's Stuart Law, who is on 862 runs, cannot be ruled out ahead of his side's trip to Somerset.

Meanwhile Montgomerie has been told he will play 'a very important part in Sussex's future plans' after making his 17th first-class hundred, but his first at Lord's.

Chief Executive Dave Gilbert believes the opener, who celebrates his 30th birthday on Friday, will only improve with age.

He said: "Everyone is delighted for Monty, he has proved to be a great signing for us and is a very important part of our future plans.

"Batting with Murray has improved his game no end and I think he is capable of getting 1,500 runs this season - that is what he should be aiming for."

Montgomerie's current contract expires at the end of next season, but Gilbert hinted that discussions on extending it may soon get underway.

The only disappointment for him yesterday was that his seventh century for the county didn't set up a fourth successive Championship win.

But he did have the satisfaction of claiming his first first-class wicket in the final over before play ended at 5.30pm with Middlesex 135-4 in their second innings.

When Chris Adams declared 20 minutes before lunch, Middlesex were set 313 in 70 overs, an asking rate of 4.48 an over which must have been a tempting target on a slow but true pitch.

But they seemingly settled for a draw at lunchtime, condemning the couple of hundred spectators dotted around a ground which can hold 29,000 to four hours of attritional fare.

With so little assistance off the pitch, the Sussex bowlers were left hoping that the muggy, overcast conditions would make the ball swing.

It did, to a certain extent, but with no recognised fourth seamer in the side, Adams had to rotate James Kirtley, Jason Lewry and Mark Robinson in energy-sapping conditions.

Their hopes were briefly raised when Robinson trapped Mike Roseberry leg before after the former Durham veteran had laboured 55 balls over his eight runs, hitting just three scoring shots.

Adams took a good catch low to his right off Kirtley at second slip to get rid of Owais Shah for a second ball duck in the next over.

And Robinson struck again in the 25th over when Andy Strauss nibbled outside off stump and was caught at slip.

Middlesex were wobbling at 54-3, but Robin Weston and Ben Hutton got their heads down. It wasn't the sort of cricket to bring the crowds back with just 15 scoring shots to enjoy in 28 overs between lunch and tea.

Amazingly, most of the spectators were still there when Adams, who'd earlier indulged Goodwin by allowing him to bowl his first overs for the county, threw the ball to Montgomerie.

Weston tried to late cut his first delivery, a loopy off break, missed and was plumb lbw. Montgomerie's celebrations were as exuberant as those which had greeted his century six hours earlier. At least he will remember the last four days.

Meanwhile, Martin-Jenkins had to settle for a couple of overs on the outfield during the tea interval to test the rib muscle injury which has now kept him out of first team action for a month.

He will play as a specialist batsman for the seconds tomorrow and again on Thursday, but the problem is still troubling him when he comes out of his bowling action so a return against Hampshire on Friday looks unlikely.

When he does come back it will almost certainly be at the expense of Umer Rashid who is badly out of sorts at the moment.

Scoring three runs in two innings and bowling just 12 overs of innocous left-arm spin was hardly what he had in mind on his return to Lord's.

Rashid seems to be lacking confidence at the moment and he isn't enjoying a lot of luck either, judging by the way he was dismissed yesterday, one of five wickets to fall in the morning session as Sussex chased quick runs in anticipation of the declaration.

Fortunate not to be run out when he got off the mark, he drilled a ball from Angus Fraser to mid-wicket where Weston took an outstanding catch diving full length.

Sussex had resumed on 217-1 and it took Montgomerie just three overs to convert his 90 not out overnight into his second hundred against Middlesex.

It included nine boundaries, but by the time he was bowled having an ugly mow across the line at Paul Weekes he had added three more in his 116 which came off 301 balls in 5hrs 50mins.

He'd also shared in the 13th century stand by Sussex this season, putting on 124 for the second wicket with Bas Zuiderent who departed in the following over for 56 to a sprawling catch at mid on by Jamie Hewitt.

Adams reverse-swept Weekes straight to slip and Matt Prior was run out by Hutton's direct hit from third man in the chase for quick runs.

Both sides pick up ten points which leaves third-placed Sussex ten behind new leaders Hampshire whose visit to Hove at the end of the week also marks the start of the second half of the season.

Before then the county switch their attentions to the Norwich Union League and tomorrow's day-night game against Hampshire at West End from 4.10pm.

They are likely to retain the team which beat Derbyshire in their last game in the competition a fortnight ago.

Sussex (from): Montgomerie, Goodwin, Adams, Zuiderent, House, Yardy, Prior, Davis, Kirtley, Taylor, Robinson, Lewry, Rashid.