Mike Yardy has had a change of heart about captaining Sussex.

The 27-year-old is leading the county in the Championship match against Surrey while Chris Adams recovers from a rib injury.

Although Sussex do not have an official vice-captain, Matt Prior led the side in Adams’ absence earlier this season and Adams revealed he had originally earmarked Murray Goodwin to skipper the county for the first time at the Oval.

Adams said: “When I became a doubt I felt it was time to give Murray the reins but I spoke to Yards and he now wants to be considered for the job in the future and wanted to do it in this game.

“Yards had a tough time leading England Lions last winter and came to us in pre-season saying he wanted to step down as official vice-captain so he could concentrate on his own game.

“He has always enjoyed the tactical side but the other aspects of the job take up a lot of your energy, as I know after doing it for 11 seasons.

“But it is a role you grow into and get better at and I’m sure that would be the case with Yards.

“He is ready deliver over a long period as a senior batsman and personally I can’t see captaincy affecting that side of his game too much.”

Yardy probably did not envisage on his first day back in the job that he would have to act as peacemaker between Goodwin and Surrey’s record-breaking run machine Mark Ramprakash.

Both he and the umpires had to intervene during a furious exchange as Ramprakash closed in on the 102nd first-class hundred of his career.

Goodwin accused him of running down the middle of the pitch and Ramprakash, who has not got the nickname Bloodaxe because of his sweet disposition, reacted by striding towards Goodwin pointing his bat.

Harmony of sorts broke out but only after the pair had stood virtually toe to toe for several moments and when Ramprakash duly lodged his tenth century against Sussex, more than he has made against any other county, he again gestured angrily to Goodwin.

There was another showdown at the end when Ramprakash pointed his bat towards umpire John Steele, an action which must surely earn him an official rebuke.

Yardy could not be leading the side in tougher circumstances.

With no Adams, Mushtaq Ahmed, Prior or Luke Wright the backbone of the team is missing and seven of the side are uncapped, although it was gratifying to see that eight of them have come through the Sussex ranks.

After Yardy had lost the toss, Jason Lewry delivered the wickets of both openers in his new-ball spell but once Ramprakash had found a reliable partner in Jon Batty it was a tough day for the seven bowlers employed.

On a flat, slow pitch with little happening Sussex needed to take their chances but Batty was dropped on 42 by Carl Hopkinson at slip and then on 76 at leg slip by Michael Thornely.

Thornely had earlier been subjected to a punishing assault by Ramprakash who hit a straight six and successive boundaries in an over which leaked 15 runs.

Since becoming the 25th batsman in history to lodge 100 hundreds he has added an unbeaten 200 against Somerset and now a chanceless 133 not out, his third century in a row against suffering Sussex.

So far he has faced 227 balls and hit 18 fours and a six, adding an unbroken 216 in 78 overs for the third wicket with Batty who was just short of his second hundred of the season when bad light forced an early close.

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