Wells makes most of final day with ton

Sussex 438 and 254 for 6 dec drew with Hampshire 480
Scorecard

Sussex youngster Luke Wells took the opportunity of an County Championship match heading nowhere to score his second century of the season at the Rose Bowl where another easy-paced pitch led to a dramaless last day against Hampshire.

Sussex predictably batted through before declaring their second innings 212 ahead at 254 for 6, leaving Hampshire no time to respond. The visitors began the day 42 behind after each side had completed their first innings over the first three days and a draw seemed inevitable.

Ed Joyce and Chris Nash put on 32 for the first wicket before slow left-armer Danny Briggs took the first of his four wickets. Joyce mistimed a sweep and top edged Briggs to square leg where Friedel de Wet clutched the opportunity.

Wells signalled his intentions on arrival with a straight six off Briggs and it became clear the match was petering out when Sussex went in at lunch with a lead of 66 at 108 for 1. Briggs, who got through another marathon spell of 30 overs spread across the innings, struck again at 124 when Nash, who had hit six fours in his 56, chopped the ball onto his stumps.

Nash and Wells had put on 92 for the second wicket to make sure there were no alarms and the afternoon session brought little respite for the Hampshire bowlers. Murray Goodwin, the Sussex captain, was the third to go at 157, curiously offering no shot to a delivery from Briggs and being bowled via the top of his pad.

Five balls later De Wet struck for the first time when he had Ben Brown caught at the wicket with the score 158 but there was still no real hope for Hampshire. Wells, who made 103 earlier in the season, reached his century off 169 balls, hitting 11 fours in addition to his six.

But Wells failed to go on and beat his previous best score because at 248 and having faced only another seven balls, Wells drove Sean Ervine to James Vince for exactly 100.

Wells and Luke Wright had put on 90 for the fifth wicket to make the game safe and by then the few spectators were already heading home. Wright perished soon afterwards, edging Briggs to Jimmy Adams after making 39 soon afterwards Goodwin decided to call a halt.

Briggs was rewarded with figures of 4 for 99 as the match fell away. Hampshire, still looking for their first Division One win of the season in four attempts, finished with nine points and Sussex took seven back home along the south coast.