Murray Goodwin is the key to Sussex's hopes of avoiding a third successive Championship defeat.

Having made his 50th first-class hundred of his career in the first innings, Goodwin will probably need to score his 51st at Hove today if they are to avoid dropping into the first division's bottom two.

They will begin the final day still 226 runs behind with eight second-innings wickets in hand after following on for the third successive game.

Goodwin made 119 off 200 balls, his second hundred of the season but first in the Championship, and for a time during the afternoon Sussex harboured hopes of salvation.

He put on 83 in 30 overs with Andrew Hodd whose composed display suggested that the 24-year-old is ready to step into Matt Prior's shoes.

Hodd contributed 43 to the stand and the way he timed his shots, particularly through the on side, will have given Sussex supporters as much pleasure as events at Lord's a couple of hours later.

But after Hodd edged Rikki Clarke to second slip defending off the back foot, Sussex were never the same again. The last six wickets fell for 53 in 21 overs and when they went in again they quickly lost both openers.

Like Mark Ramprakash earlier in the game, it was hard to recall Goodwin playing a false shot. In the absence of Mike Yardy's adhesive qualities in the top four he is under more pressure than ever to perform but after a sketchy start to the Championship campaign this was vintage Goodwin.

His 50 came off just 60 balls but then he sensibly reined in his attacking instincts and it took him a further 103 deliveries to lodge his 31st hundred for the county. It featured 13 fours.

At times during the day Sussex looked like building a match-saving partnership. After Chris Nash fell to the third ball of the day, Richard Montgomerie added 60 with Goodwin before Clarke extracated some extra bounce from the moribund surface.

There was a stand of 60 with Chris Adams which ended when the captain top-edged a pull to fine leg but after Hodd departed the tail fell away in a fashion which has become worryingly familiar in the last month.

Matt Nicholson, who picked up a wicket in the first over of each of his first three spells, was the main beneficiary and finished with 5-89 before returning at the start of Sussex's second innings to snap up Montgomerie and Carl Hopkinson in successive overs.

The pitch is still pretty flat and it should not be beyond Sussex to bat through 96 overs today.

But a lot will depend on the dependable Goodwin.

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