Thanks to the efforts of Matt Nicholson and Rikki Clarke, Surrey go into the final day of their clash with Sussex at Hove with more than a chance of recording their opening win of the 2007 County Championship campaign. Both Nicholson, who picked up figures of 5-89 in the first innings and made early inroads in the second, and Clarke kept plugging away an unresponsive pitch and, eventually, Sussex buckled under the pressure.

Murray Goodwin played an almost lone hand, making 119 off 200 balls. Three of his partners made starts without capitalising on them, but with six wickets going down in a disastrous final session for the hosts, after the first 215 overs of this contest had yielded just seven, a match that appeared to be heading towards a draw now seems to be Surrey's for the taking.

Needing 477 to avoid the follow-on, Sussex resumed on 109-1, which soon became 110-2 when Chris Nash lost his off stump to Nicholson. The Australian's second over of the morning saw Goodwin cream fours either side of the wicket. But the introduction of Clarke fifteen overs later had an immediate impact, with Richard Montgomerie nicking the Surrey vice-captain to the keeper.

Chris Adams looked in typically pugnacious mood. The Sussex skipper got off the mark with a four straight down the ground off Clarke. The former Derbyshire man then on drove Nicholson for two successive boundaries and danced down the wicket to Nayan Doshi, whom he deposited into the deck chairs at the Cromwell Road End; though not before Goodwin had progressed to a 60-ball half-century.

Two overs before lunch, however, Nicholson, having switched ends had Adams brilliantly caught at long leg. After the break, Goodwin handed his side a second batting point by pulling Ian Salisbury for four, but then the game went through something of a sedate phase with just four boundaries coming in 17 overs; due in part to a curiously sluggish outfield.

Surrey wasted no time claiming the second new ball, but in the next over Neil Saker was twice clipped through the on-side for four by Andrew Hodd. Not to be upstaged, Goodwin proceeded to cut the 22-year-old to the point boundary then flick him through square leg.

Goodwin and Hodd put on 83 in thirty overs for the fifth wicket, but just as it seemed as though Surrey would have to bat again Sussex lost their last six wickets for 52 runs, starting with Hodd, who was caught at second slip.

Goodwin reached the fiftieth first-class century of his career with a pushed single to backward square leg. It had taken him 163 balls and included thirteen boundaries. But then Robin Martin-Jenkins, driving, was taken behind to give Clarke his second wicket in four overs.

Goodwin departed in the second over after tea, to a catch down the leg-side off Nicholson who then had Rana Naved-ul-Hasan fending to second slip. Scott Newman, fielding at silly point, had to leave the field after being struck on the left-hand side of the head by a full-blooded cover drive from Mushtaq Ahmed, who promptly hit Doshi straight up the ground for four to give Sussex a fourth batting point.

But with the Pakistani being bowled off a bottom edge and James Kirtley toe-ending a high catch to Salisbury, both off the bowling of Doshi, Luke Wright, who should have been caught at mid-on off Richard Clinton before getting off the mark, was left stranded on 14.

When the home side were invited to bat again, just three overs were possible before bad light seemed as though it had brought an early end to proceedings at a quarter to six. But the Sussex openers were made to face a further ten overs. As it was, both failed to negotiate them successfully due to Nicholson generating some additional bounce from the Sea End.

GO TO:

BACK TO: