The consensus when play ended at Hove yesterday was that Surrey's Mark Ramprakash had laid the foundations for a 99th first-class century. In truth, Ramprakash had one or two "moments" during his unbeaten 66, but with nothing else to whet the appetite today, cricket fans, optimistic as ever, had to head home feeling there was some point to this contest. To the surprise of many, Sussex chose not to declare once they had secured all five batting points. True, they are without Mushtaq Ahmed, but even so, did Chris Adams really think that there was enough time on the clock for Surrey to make 600, say, then skittle out theirs hosts to win by an innings?

The day began with Matt Prior giving his opposite number, Jonathan Batty, a couple of difficult chances off the bowling of Saqlain Mushtaq, but the Sussex stumper advanced to a fourth successive championship fifty, which was posted in 70 deliveries, but ended when Prior's attempted pull off Jordan looped up to Alistair Brown at backward point.

In the next over, James Kirtley, who had just ducked into a Jordan bouncer, fell leg before attempting to mow Saqlain through wide mid-on for the second ball in succession. Luke Wright opened his account with a cut four, but was immediately upstaged when Robin Martin-Jenkins drove Saqlain off the back foot to the extra cover boundary. Martin-Jenkins, who had a good day all-round when he later picked up both of the Surrey wickets to fall, went on to hit an attractive 75-ball fifty.

At lunch, Sussex were 415-7. Shortly after the break, however, Wright was caught at mid-off to give the persevering Jimmy Ormond his first wicket of the match. Ollie Rayner was the next to go, caught behind off a crawling delivery from Saqlain, for a breezy 21. When Jason Lewry punched the former Pakistan off-spinner to mid-off Martin-Jenkins was left, unbowed, on 53.

In reply, both of the Surrey openers announced themselves with perfectly executed cover drives off Martin-Jenkins. However, in the eighth over Batty was on the end of yet another lbw decision as he misjudged the pace of the gangly 32-year-old.

Ramprakash was on nought for 20 balls, but after despatching Lewry to the cover fence soon made up for his cautious start. Newman brought up his first championship half-century of the summer, in 84 deliveries, with a viciously struck straight drive off Kirtley. Seven overs later Ramprakash ran Michael Yardy's slow left-arm spin down to the third man boundary for two to post his own fifty, off 99 balls.

Newman appeared to be a little unlucky to be adjudged leg before to a ball that seemed to be going over the top of off-stump. But other than surviving a couple of concerted appeals for lbw, Ramprakash, abetted by his skipper, confirmed that there is precious little chance of a result in this match.

When Mark Ramprakash and Mark Butcher resume Surrey's first innings this morning, 311 runs adrift of their hosts, all eyes will be on the former, whose 66 has so far taken 142 balls with seven boundaries.

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