Montgomerie and Goodwin build big lead for Sussex over Middlesex

The fine form this season of Sussex's opening batsmen, Richard Montgomerie and Murray Goodwin, has continued with the two combining in a century stand in the second innings of their match against Middlesex at Lord's.

Goodwin, who has scored four first-class hundreds this season, hit his second half-century of the match and Montgomerie, with three hundreds, was well on the way to a fourth when stumps were drawn on 217 for one, giving Sussex an overall lead of 214.

He was unbeaten on 90 after a long innings, spanning five hours, during which he faced 271 balls and hit eight boundaries.

His stand with Goodwin was solid rather than a free-scoring one with the hundred coming in the 39th over. Goodwin reached his 50 from 97 balls, five of which he sent to the boundary. The scoring rate did drop considerably with both batsmen playing defensively to the extent that at one stage Montgomerie had scored four singles in an hour.

During that period he lost his partner on 108. Goodwin's 61 had taken 161 minutes before he played on to Phil Tufnell in attempting to square-cut.

Having begun their innings fifteen overs before lunch, which was taken on 30 without loss, Sussex, at tea, were 121 for one with Montgomerie on 43.

He featured in another century partnership, an unbroken one, with Bastiaan Zuiderent whose contribution was 51 from 124 balls. Their stand, by close of play, had taken up two-and-a-half hours.

Middlesex bowlers, although not penetrative, had kept a fairly tight length, Bloomfield suffered a bit with his twelve overs going at the rate of five.

Earlier, Sussex pace bowler Robert Kirtley took three wickets for 30 this morning and Jason Lewry had two for 29 to dismiss Middlesex for 326. Resuming on the overnight total of 263 for five the Middlesex innings lasted a little over an hour today, which was enough to give them a small, three-run first innings lead.

For Sussex it was important to break the overnight stand between Robin Weston and David Nash and this they did in the second over with the new ball, which was taken as soon as it became available after a hundred overs.

Nash had scored the six runs that he needed for his half-century before offering an easy return catch to Kirtley who then claimed his second wicket 33 runs later when Weston, having added 13 to his overnight 70, edged behind with the total on 305.

On either side of Weston's dismissal, Lewry uprooted the off-stump of Jamie Hewitt and Bloomfield and finally Kirtley wrapped up the innings having Angus Fraser caught off the outside edge at second slip for 14.