Play finally got underway at 1.30 on the third and final day of Sussex's match against Cambridge UCCE at Fenner's yesterday.

But, after the loss of the first seven sessions, there was never any question of the game ending in anything but a draw With areas close to the square still saturated from the heavy rain of the previous two days, the two umpires, Vanburn Holder and Mike Dixon, would probably have abandoned this game had it been a county championship encounter. But with both teams keen to spend time in the middle, the sawdust was brought out and each side took the opportunity to enjoy about 30 overs batting either side of the tea interval.

The students, who took first use of a true pitch that nevertheless offered a degree of assistance to the seamers after sweating under the covers for the best part of two and a half days, were indebted to a Sussex attack that was plagued by no-ball problems.

Jason Lewry struck in the third over when he swung one in to have the left-handed Stuart Block leg before but that was the last Sussex success for 18 overs as Alex Simcox and Vikram Kumar added 57 for the second wicket.

Debutant seamer Paul Havell generated good pace as he moved the ball away from the right-hander and the 20-year-old was unlucky when Kumar, who had made just a single at the time, was dropped behind from a chance that went quickly to Matt Prior's right.

The Sussex attack bowled 15 no-balls between them, with Billy Taylor the most regular offender as he overstepped seven times in his opening four overs, one of those deliveries uprooting the off-stump of the fortuitous Kumar. Later, an Umer Rashid no-ball castled the defences of Graham Dill.

Taylor, whose first four overs disappeared for 29, recovered well to trap the obdurate Symcox in front for a painstaking seven made from 62 balls whereupon Mark Robinson struck twice in the space of three balls with the score still on 65 to send back Kumar and Ben Collins.

Rashid hung onto a sharp caught and bowled chance to dismiss former Sussex player James Pyemont just before the declaration, with Cambridge struggling on 94-5.

In the face of some distinctly moderate fare, Tony Cottey and acting skipper Richard Montgomerie put on a carefree 55 for the first wicket before the Welshman mis-pulled Adam Clarke to mid-wicket for 20.

Montgomerie eased his way to an unbeaten 84 from 104 balls as Sussex rushed to 147-1 before stumps were drawn.

AN UNBEATEN 87 from Jason Laney guided Hampshire to a five wicket win over Sussex seconds on the final day of the Championship match at Hove yesterday.

COUNTY SCOREBOARD Division One - Chelmsford: Yorkshire 376-9 (Middlebrook 84, Silverwood 70, 55) v Essex; Taunton: Kent 343 (Fulton 140, Cullinan 57) v Somerset 184 & 109-2 (Cox 59 no); The Oval: Leicestershire 246 Dakin 69, Giddins 5-48, Bicknell 4-61) v Surrey 46-0. Lancashire v Glamorgan: No play due to rain. Division Two - Riverside Middlesex 386 (Shah 190, Fleming 114, Gough 5-66) & 83-1 (Shah 62 no) v Durham 274 Peng 101) West End: Hampshire 350-4 dec (Kenway 131, Smith 102 no) v Gloucestershire 133 (Mullally 5-41) & 36-2 Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 41-1 v Warwickshire, no play due to rain; Worcs v Derbyshire: No play due to rain.