Resuming on 222/8 overnight, Betts, Pathan and Richardson could only add 22 to the total, which set Sussex 314 to win and 90 overs to achieve them.

After the quick loss of Ward (24) and Yardy (5), Montgomerie (52) and Goodwin (88) put on 146 for the thrid wicket. The partnership finally broken by Richardson. The dismissals of Adams (9) and Montgomerie took Sussex from 193/3 to 195/5 and with it any realistic chances of a Sussex vicotry. Middlesex carried on trying and despite subboness from Prior (42) and Martin-Jenkins (32), manged to have the hosts at 280/9 with 11 balls to go. Lewry and Kirtley doggedly batted out the remaining 11 balls to secure a draw.

Day 3

71 from Paul Weekes and 65 from Jamie Dalrymple helped to set up what looks like being a tense end to the day at Hove. Middlesex lead by 291 with 2 second innings wickets to go.

Having ended day 2 on 206/5, Sussex soon lost Martin-Jenkins, but Mushtaq Ahmed set about closing in on the score in typical Mushy style, hitting 57 off 77 before being out done by Paul Weekes. He was assisted by Prior (41) with Kirtley and Lewry also helping out.

In reply, Middlesex were at one stage reduce to 72/5 after another poor display by the opening batsmen. Dalrymple and Weekes helped stage a recovery in a partnership of 140 but 3 wickets fell quickly and the Londoners finished the day on 222/8, a lead of 291, but with the two unsung heros of the first innings at the crease. 

Day 2

Irfan Pathan made a strong impression with both bat and ball on Day 2, but Chris Adams and Murray Goodwin, whose half centuries aided Sussex in their recovery and set up an interesting prospect for the 3rd day’s play, upstaged the debutant.

Pathan’s first role as a Middlesex player was in his unconventional role as batsmen, with both himself and Melvyn Betts scoring the vital runs that took Middlesex from 327-8 at the start of play to 401 all out, securing two more vital batting points for the ‘sex.

The Indian was then called upon to bowl, a task that the grabbed with both hands as he removed the Sussex openers, with the hosts eventually struggling to 27-3. Experience was at hand, however, as both Adams and Goodwin brought about the revival, with Sussex eventually closing on 206-5, Scott Styris also capturing 2 wickets.

Day 1

Ed Joyce continued his rich vein of form with a patient 82 as Middlesex built a highly competitive platform on a glorious day at Hove.

The visitors closed the first day on 327-8 – a very respectable total on an often sluggish and unreliable pitch with a very slow outfield. There were contributions down the order, with Owais Shah (58), Paul Weekes (55), Ed Smith (41) and Scott Styris (34) all providing support to mainstay Joyce, while James Kirtley caused by far the most problems by taking 5-52. Sussex fielded with all the enthusiasm expected of a team which has won five successive matches, but apart from Kirtley and at times Robin Martin-Jenkins, their attack was unable to finish Middlesex off.

The morning started in disappointing fashion when Hutton, who had won the toss, was comfortably taken at mid-on off James Kirtley for just 4. Smith and Shah then played some fine attacking cricket before Chris Adams took a sharp catch at first slip after Smith had flashed outside his off stump. Nevertheless, Joyce joined Shah and took the score to a solid 109-2 at lunch, although Joyce was dropped shortly before lunch when Prior put down a difficult chance down the leg side off Martin-Jenkins. He had yet to reach double figures.

Scoring was a difficult task after the interval and both batsmen looked to survive a testing period until Shah played down the wrong line and saw his off pole ripped out of the ground by Martin-Jenkins. Styris was in no mood to be dictated to, memorably straight driving his first ball for four and using his feet to profitable effect against the strangely out of groove Mushtaq Ahmed.

The partnership appeared to be progressing smoothly and was worth 84 when the New Zealand all-rounder was well held at waist height by Goodwin at point off Kirtley. Worse was to follow when Jamie Dalrymple, in his first Championship outing, was palpably leg-before to his first ball when trying to play to the leg side, and Middlesex were in a mini-crisis at 209-5.

Joyce, however, was in wonderful touch and many of his strokes failed to reach the boundary due to the painfully slow outfield. It took a quite magnificent catch to dismiss him when Ian Ward dived to his left at wide mid on, but once again Joyce’s innings had provided a base around which others could contribute.

The central role now fell to Weekes and he rode his luck at times to ensure Middlesex reached 300. By that time, Ben Scott, who had looked in good touch, had been caught behind in the impressive Kirtley’s first over with the new ball. Weekes departed in the same way shortly prior to the close, and tomorrow Irfan Pathan and Mel Betts will be looking to reach 350, which would represent a superb team effort.

Please click here for the scorecard for this match

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