Mushtaq Ahmed was kept waiting for his moment of glory as title-chasing Sussex endured a frustrating day at Old Trafford.

As usual, there was any number of appeals from the leg spinner as he sought his 100th Championship wicket but, apart from one good shout against Stuart Law, when he padded up to a googly, the leg spinner was negated by a slow pitch on the first day against Lancashire.

But, as he joined the rest of the squad at the other Old Trafford last night to watch the England-Liechtenstein match, skipper Chris Adams could at least console himself with one fact.

Adams knows his side are perfectly capable of batting just as well on a true pitch as Mal Loye and Law did yesterday in helping their side reach 225-2 from 68 overs at the close.

With just ten more points needed to secure their first title, one more solid batting effort is all that is required from a side averaging 383 in their last ten Championship innings.

There is still a lot of work ahead before Sussex can strap their pads on.

Until the last hour they bowled with commendable discipline, but then Law and Loye accelerated past Lancashire's initial target of 200 which secured their first batting bonus point.

In the battle between the country's leading wicket-taker and run scorer the Australian emerged ahead on points.

Mushtaq bowled 19 overs on the reel after he was brought on at the Stretford End in the 21st over but, such was its easy-paced nature, the batsmen were able to play him off the pitch with a fair degree of comfort.

Jason Lewry was guilty of bowling too full with the new ball but Billy Taylor and Robin Martin-Jenkins checked Lancashire ambitions in the afternoon session after morning rain had delayed the start until 1.25pm with 36 overs lost.

Martin-Jenkins conceded just 16 in his opening nine-over spell while Taylor took 1-20 from ten overs, his success coming in the sixth over courtesy of a catch in front of first slip by the spring-heeled Tim Ambrose which unseated Mark Chilton.

Iain Sutcliffe carelessly clipped Lewry straight to square leg, but 66-2 was as good as it got for Sussex as the sun came out and Loye and Law set about putting the conditions into true perspective.

Once they had settled, both drove the ball fluently when the seamers strayed from their off stump line, although Sussex squandered a great chance in the 54th over when Law pushed Taylor into the covers before sending his partner back when he was already halfway down the pitch.

Sadly for Taylor, he dropped Matt Prior's throw allowing the batsman to scramble back into his ground.

Taylor kicked the air in frustration and to compound his misery his next ball disappeared for four. It was that sort of day for Sussex.

Loye had just reached a half-century off 113 balls and it was a measure of the way the batsmen prospered late on that he needed just another 52 deliveries to reach his fifth hundred of the season and third in succession with ten fours and a straight six just after Mark Davis had replaced Mushtaq.

It was the 27th Championship century by a Lancashire player this season, the county's best performance since 1934.

By his own standards Law tended to play within himself, but he resumed today with power to add having figured in a third wicket stand of 159 in 44 overs.

It is clear Lancashire intend to bat just once in this game and the way Sussex respond to that challenge will determine whether or not the title celebrations start in Manchester.

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