Sussex progress slow but sure

With some diligent batting in the final session, Sussex reached 301 for nine on the first day of their Cricinfo Championship match against Middlesex at Lord's.

The 56-run stand between Michael Yardy and Matthew Prior for the sixth wicket, in an hour and a half, may not have provided much entertainment, but it helped to give some solidity to the innings.

The partnership ended with James Hewitt bowling Yardy for 46, compiled with some application, from 133 balls and three runs later, in his next over, Hewitt uprooted Prior's middle stump. His 28 was also slow, coming in 97 minutes and it took Sussex to 251 for seven.

With Mark Davis' quick scoring the total went to 282 for eight and finally, with the second new ball, Angus Fraser took the ninth wicket on 294.

Sussex, in the first hour after lunch, had lost two wickets when Phil Tufnell was brought into the attack. In his third over he had Chris Adams top-edging to slip and ten overs later he was fortunate to see a shot from Bastiaan Zuiderent hit Michael Roseberry at silly mid-off and rebound to the wicket-keeper for a catch. Sussex were 142 for three and Tufnell had taken two wickets for twelve.

Just as Murray Goodwin and Yardy were consolidating the innings with a 50-run stand, off-spinner Paul Weekes struck twice with successive balls. Goodwin's solid knock of 69 which spanned four and a quarter hours, ended as he pushed forward and missed. He had hit eight fours from the 185 balls.

Weekes then had Umer Rashid caught at slip and half of the Sussex wickets had gone for 192.

Earlier, having decided to bat first, Sussex seemed to be going well with 46 on the board when Middlesex claimed their first wicket this morning. Hewitt, having replaced Tim Bloomfield, whose five overs went for 25, got one to move away slightly from Richard Montgomerie to have him caught behind for 22.

Bowling in overcast conditions and on a pitch with a little grass on it, Middlesex had no further success before lunch which was taken on 113 for one.

Adams was in excellent form, reaching a sparkling half-century in the penultimate over before the break. It came from just 49 balls and included eight boundaries.

Along with Goodwin, he kept the scoreboard moving with fine strokeplay, although the shot of the morning came from Goodwin when he square-cut Richard Hutton for four to reach 34.

The hundred came from 161 balls, the second fifty was much quicker from only 65. But with Adams' dismissal after lunch the more cautious Goodwin had slowed the scoring. After being down to 220 for five at tea, Sussex added 81 in the last session, losing four further wickets. Hewitt finished with three for 59.