Goodwin shines as Sussex build lead

Surrey 278 for 7 v Sussex 205
Scorecard

Sussex's batsmen capitalised on the excellent job done by their seam attack to take control after two days of their County Championship second division match against Surrey at Hove. Murray Goodwin led the way with a stylish 74 while skipper Mike Yardy and Luke Wright both made half-centuries in their final match for the county before linking up with England's squad for the Twenty20 World Cup.

Surrey's attack kept plugging away on a desperately slow pitch but by the close Sussex had reached 278 for 7, a lead of 73. It was tough going initially for Sussex and when Joe Gatting mistimed a drive at Rao Iftikhar in the 20th over they had only managed 26 runs.

Chris Nash looked dumbfounded to be given out lbw to Andre Nel from a delivery which hit the top of the pad, but opening partner Yardy and Goodwin began to impose themselves in a third-wicket stand of 117 in 33 overs.

While the left-hander struggled with his timing, Goodwin continued in the form which had brought him 113 runs in Sussex's opening win over Glamorgan. He struck 11 boundaries and it was a surprise when off-spinner Gareth Batty got one through his defences in the 54th over.

Yardy was much more circumspect and needed 223 balls for his 50, 153 more than Goodwin. He was badly dropped on 29 at second slip by Surrey skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown but gradually began to find his touch.

The Sussex captain fell after tea, trapped in front sweeping, but Wright injected impetus into the innings with an entertaining 63 off 68 balls, including nine fours and a six off Batty, before he spliced a pull to give Iftikhar his second wicket. Sussex's lead was just 36 at that stage but Michael Thornely and Andrew Hodd survived a testing period against the second new ball until Hodd was bowled by Jade Dernbach, who then uprooted Thornely's off stump with the penultimate delivery of the day.

Earlier, Sussex had wrapped up Surrey's first innings in the space of 19 balls as they were bowled out for 205, adding just six runs to their overnight score. Rana Naved made a sensational start with wickets with the first two balls of the day. Andre Nel was bowled off his pads and Iftikhar's maiden innings for Surrey ended with a golden duck when he was yorked by his Pakistan compatriot.

Robin Martin-Jenkins finished Surrey off when Chris Schofield padded up to an inswinger to complete only the eighth five-wicket haul of a first-class career spanning 177 matches. His 5 for 45 were also his best figures at Hove for nearly three years.