Visitors set sights on a draw

CRICKET: LANCASHIRE’S LV= County Championship clash with Sussex at Liverpool was in the balance as they entered day four.

After making a healthy start to their second innings, Sussex had high hopes of securing a draw.

The south–coast county began with the bat second time around facing a deficit of 229 runs.

But useful contributions from Chris Nash (43), stand–in captain Murray Goodwin and Joe Gatting helped them finish day three on 151 for three from 47 overs.

The latter two resumed this morning on 32 not out and 27 not out respectively, trailing by 78.

The visitors had been given a scare when they lost their first two wickets in consecutive overs before the tea break.

Left–arm spinner Gary Keedy got Ed Joyce caught at midwicket by Sajid Mahmood and Oliver Newby trapped Nash lbw.

As generally happens, the wicket at the Aigburth ground has become much easier to bat on as the game has progressed.

That was demonstrated by Lancashire replying to Sussex's first innings total of 243 with 472 all out.

Steven Croft, Gareth Cross and Tom Smith all recorded half–centuries during the third day.

Croft and Cross were the aggressors and Smith was happy to drop anchor, facing 150 balls in total for his 60.

Left–arm spinner Monty Panesar was Sussex's most successful bowler with figures of four for 105 from 47 overs.

Having had Croft caught at first slip by Joyce he bowled Cross and got Glen Chapple caught at first slip by the Irishman in

consecutive balls to leave the score at 449 for eight in the 151st.

Pace bowler Amjad Khan also chipped in with three for 94 from 28.5 overs.

Keedy’s second wicket — the third Sussex one to fall — was that of Luke Wells, who was caught at midwicket by Stephen Moore after miscuing an on–drive.

At that stage the visitors were 105 for three in the 28th over – but Goodwin and Gatting avoided any further dramas with their unbroken fourth–wicket stand of 46.