It seems that every year since Sussex won promotion to the top flight of the County Championship, Michael Yardy has cashed in at some stage against the Surrey attack. If this contest ends in a draw – which seems likely given that virtually a full day’s play has already been lost – the Oval outfit will be hoping that the 24-year-old left-hander is now done with them this term.

Yardy’s 111 off 227 balls, which fell four runs short of the career best he made against Surrey during the final act of 2004, included 17 boundaries and lasted for over 5½ hours before he was trapped lbw on the back foot by Rikki Clarke.

Clarke finished with figures of four for 91, which, coincidentally, represented his second best effort in the championship. The home side will no doubt take encouragement from the performance. But, in truth, Clarke was unable to match the relentlessness of Jimmy Ormond, who accounted for the three most consistent performers Sussex brought with them from Hove.

Last summer Ormond sent down more deliveries in first-class cricket than any other seamer in the country. On the evidence of the last two days, it looks as if nobody will be more pleased to see the arrival of Harbhajan Singh than the former Leicestershire man.

Yesterday’s shortened morning session saw Matthew Prior pick up where he left off on Wednesday afternoon. The Sussex wicketkeeper posted his fifty in the sixth over of proceedings, off just 59 balls, by pulling Mohammad Akram through mid-wicket for four. However, nine runs short of sharing a century partnership for the fifth wicket with Yardy, he was cut off in his prime by Ian Salisbury’s brilliant left-handed catch at backward point off the bowling of Ormond.

Yardy added 39 to his overnight score before the rain arrived with 25 minutes to go to lunch. The left-hander reached his half-century in 142 deliveries, but it took him just sixty more to move to three figures. The milestone was reached thanks to four boundaries in 11 balls immediately after an early break for tea, three of them off of Azhar Mahmood.

Michael Yardy and Tim Ambrose combined for 65 in eighteen overs before Azhar had Ambrose driving firmly but low to point. Yardy departed 25 minutes later, but Robin Martin-Jenkins, abetted by some entertaining batting from Mushtaq Ahmed and the fortuitous efforts of James Kirtley, lifted the visitors total above the 350-mark.

Mushtaq, who announced himself by lofting Salisbury straight down the ground for four, perished when steering Akram to second slip at head height. Ormond was given just one over with the new ball before making way for Clarke at the Vauxhall End. It turned out to be an inspired switch. Martin-Jenkins reeled off two attractive backfoot cover drives during his 62-ball innings of forty, but lost his off stump playing back again to Clarke.

Two overs later Jason Lewry lofted the 23-year-old to deep extra cover. That left the Surrey openers with seven overs to negotiate, which they almost managed to do without suffering a setback. But three balls away from stumps Scott Newman, who survived a decent lbw shout from Kirtley in the fifth over, lost his leg bail to the same bowler.

GO TO:

BACK TO: