First plays second in what many feel could be a pivotal game in terms of deciding the destiny of this summer's County Championship title. But with rain forecast for day three these two sides might also be separated by just five or six points come Saturday evening. With Tim Ambrose and Jason Lewry likely to be missing through injury, Surrey go into the match as clear favourites. But, as Sussex have shown in their last three championship meetings with the Oval outfit, they are a good deal more combative than your average county side. The seasiders take their lead from their pugnacious captain Chris Adams, who has continued to baffle everyone by averaging just 18.70 with the bat in this year's championship. He is a much better batsman than that and tomorrow's visitors will clearly be hoping that he takes a little longer to rediscover his form. One player whose stock is on the rise is opener Murray Goodwin, who struck his first championship hundred last Saturday, at Trent Bridge. 37-year-old Tony Cottey, who is out of contract at the end of the summer, has been a revelation and, at last, Robin Martin-Jenkins is fulfilling his promise with the bat. Unfortunately he has gone off the boil with the ball and if Sussex do have a weakness it is their probable reliance on just two bowlers in this match - Mushtaq Ahmed and James Kirtley, who have already captured 114 championship wickets between them.
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