Surrey’s 113-run win over Sussex – their third victory of the campaign and their first in four matches at home this season – was sealed when Michael Yardy’s five-and-a-quarter hour vigil was ended by Jimmy Ormond. Had Yardy and his partner, Billy Taylor, lasted another 32 balls, the day would have belonged to the 22-year-old left-hander.

Michael Yardy had not played a championship match since July last year and was only included when Tony Cottey failed a fitness test on his injured back on the first morning. On the ground where he recorded a career best 93 in 2002, Yardy made 69 in 241 deliveries.

In partnership with Robin Martin-Jenkins, he helped put on 113 in 29 overs and for a while it looked as though Sussex would complete the final day with just four wickets down. But top quality bowling from Azhar Mahmood and, in particular, Saqlain Mushtaq set up victory for their side. They took eight wickets between them.

Sussex, who started the day needing 407 to win, slumped to 85 for four when Saqlain took three wickets in 12 balls without conceding a run.

After Murray Goodwin went for 26, when his attempted pull off Azhar ended up landing on his stumps, Saqlain Mushtaq came on in the 21st over and made an immediate impact. He dismissed Richard Montgomerie, Chris Adams and Tim Ambrose in his third, fourth and fifth overs.

Montgomerie was caught low down to short leg’s left. The Sussex captain then played on to a delivery that appeared to keep low and Tim Ambrose was bowled around his legs for one. But perhaps the ball of the day was the off stump yorker that Azhar Mahmood produced to get rid of Martin-Jenkins for 88.

Robin Martin-Jenkins’s otherwise chanceless knock lasted 101 minutes and included fourteen fours. The 27-year-old all-rounder batted well in both innings and looked in particularly prime form when he struck three fours in the first over of Azhar’s final spell. The first straight down the ground, and the others pulled in front of square on the leg side.

Matt Prior went for the pull early on in his innings and was well caught by Mark Ramprakash running in from deep square leg. Kevin Innes was taken at second slip off Saqlain, having been dropped low down there the ball before, and Ian Salisbury had James Kirtley caught at short leg.

At 242 for eight in the 82nd over, it looked as though Surrey would coast home. But then Michael Yardy and Mushtaq Ahmed combined for 51 in thirteen tense overs. Mushtaq played his normal game, which should have meant that it would only be a question of time before he gave his wicket away. In the end, though, it required a superb quicker ball from Saqlain to fizz in and nail his countryman on the crease.

The end finally came when Yardy edged a James Ormond out-swinger to Mahmood at second slip; just as he had done to be out for a duck in the first innings.

Lacking the services of Martin Bicknell, Surrey used just four bowlers, in whom captain Adam Hollioake showed the utmost confidence. Afterwards he was asked if he had contemplated bowling himself.

“Very briefly,” said Hollioake, adding: “But we’ve got a lot of good bowlers. We’ve got two good spinners. I think it’s important in games like this to look at percentages and look at the career records of the guys who got the wickets. You just stick with those guys. Statistics will tell you that they will get the wickets.”

He went on to say: “With nine overs to go – fifty-odd balls to get the two wickets we needed – we knew it would just take two good balls and with so many men around the bat it would be a matter of time before one popped up and we had to be patient. Michael Yardy batted very well and he batted courageously. I think he faced 241 balls for his runs, so he worked hard and it’s unfortunate for him that he couldn’t get the draw for his county. It was nice that Jimmy Ormond came up with a good ball to get rid of him.”

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