Those that have been part of a championship-winning side say retaining the crown is an even taller order. Sussex hardly put a foot wrong as they embarked on their title defence yesterday, putting themselves in the driving seat by making relatively short work of Surrey before knocking off 75 without loss as tranquillity descended upon the Brit Oval, which earlier in the day had been half cricket ground half building site.

The reigning champions could have ended proceedings in an even stronger position. Thanks to a rearguard action led in swashbuckling style by Azhar Mahmood, the home side recovered from 84 for five at lunch to post a respectable, if not totally flattering 304. A shade fortunate to survive chances at slip and mid-wicket when on 17 and 18 respectively, the Pakistan all-rounder went on to make 84 off 97 balls, enjoying solid support from both Bicknell and Salisbury.

For Surrey, Saqlain Mushtaq was missing with a suspected hand injury. So, with Alex Tudor sidelined by a recurrence of a back problem, Tim Murtagh found himself unexpectedly pressed into action. But not immediately, as the home side won the toss, chose not to break with tradition and elected to bat. Perhaps, with hindsight, it was a good toss for the visitors to lose.

Mohammad Akram and Jason Lewry made excellent use of the new ball, producing just enough seam movement to make things interesting. Scott Newman, who seemed fortunate to survive an early shout for leg before, got underneath Mohammed and despatched him to third man for three boundaries in as many overs. However, it was the more watchful Jonathan Batty who was first to go, when Lewry got one to straighten in line with the right-hander’s off stump. The end of the next over saw Newman being caught behind playing slightly away from the body.

Just when it looked as if Mark Ramprakash and James Benning were mounting a rescue mission, the latter mistimed a backfoot drive straight to mid-off. But if one wanted to be critical, they only had to wait another six overs for Ramprakash to cut a wide long hop to cover point to gift Robin Martin-Jenkins his second victim. The 28-year-old all-rounder capped a great morning for Sussex by getting one to swing in and then leave Adam Hollioake, who was snapped up low to the wicketkeeper’s right.

Surrey lost Brown in the eighth over after lunch, but Azhar Mahmood made his intentions clear by on-driving Mohammad for two fours and despatching Lewry through cover for successive boundaries, the second on bended knee.  Rather than tightening the visitors’ grip on proceedings, the introduction of Mushtaq Ahmed in the 49th over loosened it – not that the leg-spinner bowled as badly as his initial analysis of 7-1-49-0 would suggest.

The returning Martin-Jenkins, who consistently got the ball to dip and move around, had his figures re-written when the Pakistan all-rounder launched him for consecutive straight sixes. But Kevin Innes’s first over back precipitated the end of the seventh wicket stand, which garnered 106 off just 121 balls, when Martin Bicknell, the more secure of the two Surrey batsmen, failed to negotiate a rearing delivery.

Nothing but positive, Azhar twice cut Innes to the boundary before taking his personal total to 83 with a pull of supreme quality through square leg, only to then chase a ball that Lewry cleverly angled across him. After taking the attack to Lewry and Mohammad in the passage of play leading up to tea, Ian Salisbury and James Ormond settled down to add what the home side must hope proves a crucial 59 in fourteen overs.

But Salisbury, who cut hard and brought up the 300 with a straight six off Mushtaq, allowed his aggression to get the better of him when his opposite number slipped in the googly four balls later. Jimmy Ormond then inside-edged a lavish off drive to give both Ambrose and Martin-Jenkins their fourth victims of the innings.

Ian Ward took three boundaries off Bicknell’s third over, the last of which was swung over long leg for six by the former Surrey opener. Ward ended day one unbeaten on 44 having reduced the deficit to 229 in partnership with the dependable Richard Montgomerie.

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