But for the loss of day two to the elements, this game would now been fascinatingly poised. As it is, despite being rocked by the loss of Chris Nash and nightwatchman Monty Panesar just before the close, Sussex still have more than enough batting to leave Guildford with a draw. The visitors will start the final day just 36 runs behind Surrey, who were earlier dismissed for 292, with Yasir Arafat returning 5-81, his best championship figures of the season.

Sussex had the better of the morning session. The hosts, resuming on 47 without loss, went past fifty in the fifth over of the day. Tom Lancefield then despatched Yasir Arafat through the leg-side for four. But, in the very next over, fending away a rising delivery, Arun Harinath was caught low down at gully by Ed Joyce off the bowling of Corey Collymore. Three overs later, Mark Ramprakash announced himself with a trademark cover driven boundary - a stroke he repeated when Will Adkin replaced Arafat at the Railway End.

In the 33rd over, Adkin struck with the wicket of Lancefield, who, having become bogged down, was snapped up at gully for 37. Rory Hamilton-Brown got off the mark with a straight driven boundary and three overs later, in the 36th, the Surrey skipper brought the hundred up by cutting Arafat over backward point for six.

With Arafat accounting for Ramprakash, playing on, in the 40th over and Hamilton-Brown, caught on the deep mid-wicket boundary, in the 44th, lunch was taken with Surrey on 133-4.

Having pulled and cover driven Michael Thornely for fours just prior to the break, Steven Davies benefited from two let-offs shortly following the interval - on 15 and 23 - when he was dropped by Ben Brown, in front of first slip, off the bowling of Collymore and by Adkin, diving forward at mid-off, off the bowling of Monty Panesar.

In the 60th over, Stewart Walters straight and the cover drove Arafat for fours. Two overs later, the 27-year-old collected two more boundaries off the Pakistan all-rounder. Davies then came to the fore again, driving Panesar over the head of the man stationed at mid-wicket for four before driving Ollie Rayner to the point boundary in the 67th over to bring up his half-century off 81 balls.

Three overs later, Davies twice used his feet well to Chris Nash. But in the 73rd over, the 24-year-old left-hander was found guilty of playing across the line to Panesar; thus the curtain came down on a fifth wicket stand of 89 in 30 overs. With Matthew Spriegel padding up to Rayner three overs later and Walters being caught at mid-on for 45 in the 81st over, Surrey took a slender 16-run advantage into the tea interval.

After the break, Sussex were persuaded to take the new ball at the end of the 89th over when Chris Tremlett deposited Rayner into the pavilion and Gareth Batty lifted Panesar over wide long-on for six. Arafat needed less than five overs to polish off the tail, with Batty being caught just inside the rope at deep mid-wicket in the 95th over, Tremlett deflecting a lifting delivery to second slip two overs later and Jade Dernbach edging low to Rayner in the 99th.

Needing to negotiate twelve overs, the Sussex openers appeared to be in no trouble at all until Stuart Meaker came on in the eighth over. Joyce had an escape when he was dropped on 14 at first slip. But, two overs later, Meaker trapped Nash lbw before beating Panesar for pace.

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