Sussex face test of character to escape defeat

9:22am Friday 18th May 2007

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Less than a month into the season and Sussex are facing a huge test of their character.

It will require a huge effort on the part of their batsmen over the next two days if they are to stave off a third successive Championship defeat.

The omens did not look good when Carl Hopkinson fell to the first ball of their reply after Surrey had made the highest score at Hove for five years.

But just four wickets have fallen in two days on a pitch which flattened out considerably yesterday and saving this game should not be beyond the champions - especially if those that follow produce the same application shown by Richard Montgomerie and Chris Nash in the final session yesterday.

The other factor in Sussex's favour is that this is not a vintage Surrey bowling attack.

Richard Clinton opened the batting in his last appearance at Hove in 2005. Yesterday he was first change yet he has taken just two first-class wickets in his career.

Once Montgomerie and Nash had blunted the new ball threat, they began to prosper and both reached half-centuries before the close, Nash's coming off 101 balls with six fours and his partner's off 113 deliveries with five boundaries.

It was not quite done with the same panache shown by Mark Ramprakash and Mark Butcher earlier in the day but if it helps Sussex save the game no one will be complaining.

By the time Surrey had declared 25 minutes before tea, Sussex's careworn attack was being shared by Nash and Hopkinson.

Even skipper Chris Adams had four overs but on a pitch where only one delivery misbehaved all day, Sussex had long since settled for containment by the time the captain turned his arm over.

There was no lack of effort and none of the main bowlers were really collared by Mark Ramprakash or Mark Butcher during their record-breaking stand of 403.

But, as had been the case on day one, when chances were created they went to ground.

Butcher had not added to his overnight 75 when Hopkinson grassed an opportunity at backward point as he dived to his right. It was a difficult chance but one a fielder of his ability would have backed himself to take nine times out of ten.

On another day the luckless Robin Martin-Jenkins could have finished up with three or four wickets as top-edges and thick edges flew just out of the reach of frustrated fielders in the first hour when the new ball did a bit.

But as Ramprakash and Butcher began to tick off the records all Sussex could do was delay the declaration as long as possible. Surrey scored 315 runs in 60 overs yesterday before they pulled out.

Butcher played more aggressively and outscored his partner but it was inevitable that Ramprakash would lodge the 13th double-hundred of his career.

The only surprise was that Surrey declared when he was in sight of beating his career-best of 301.

Even Mushtaq Ahmed became increasingly exasperated although he did manage to secure an unexpected bowling bonus point off the last ball of the 130th over when Butcher was bowled slogging towards mid-wicket. His 179 came off 301 balls with 16 fours and a six.

Ramprakash pushed on and it was nice to see Sussex players applauding his various milestones and the crowd giving him a standing ovation after he had raised his average for the season to a not inconsiderable 135.2.

The 37-year-old has already scored 676 runs this season and if Surrey had two matches instead of one remaining this month you would back him to reach 1,000 runs before the end of May. His 266 came off 332 balls with 31 fours and three sixes and yesterday he never looked like getting out.

The only sound you could hear a few moments after he walked off was cock-a-hoop Surrey fielders celebrating as Hopkinson walked in front of Matt Nicholson's first ball.

But Montgomerie and Nash posted Sussex's first century stand since the opening game as Sussex began the long haul to safety.

What do Sussex need to do to improve their performances? Leave your thoughts below.