Reprieve for Glamorgan

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

MICHAEL GOUGE

reports from Swansea

Glamorgan 212 and 270-7 dec

Sussex 196 and 256-5

Match drawn

Sussex wasted a glorious opportunity to inflict upon Glamorgan their first County Championship defeat of the season after Bill Athey and James Hall had given them a magnificent platform.

Needing 287 off 64 overs, Athey and Hall put on 165 for the first wicket in 39 overs as the Glamorgan bowling was made to look at best ordinary and at worst lacklustre.

A balanced mixture of circumspection and controlled aggression saw the openers take a firm grip. It needed something special to prise them apart and it was the former England A tourist, Adrian Dale, who provided it.

Athey pushed Steve Watkin to midwicket and set off for what appeared to be a straightforward single. Dale was away like a greyhound, Athey saw him and changed his mind but it was too late for Hall, on 85, to regain his ground before Dale's throw broke the wicket.

It heralded a spell of immense yet needless uncertainty among the Sussex batsmen. Alan Wells, with three centuries already this season, came and went for his second duck of the match and Athey, who had reached 92, got a leading edge to a slower one from Watkin and popped up a return catch.

Watkin then had Keith Greenfield caught at the wicket for his 23rd first- class victim of the season and Franklyn Stephenson dragged a ball from Hamesh Anthony on to his stumps as he tried to lift him over the top.

Keith Newell and Peter Moores closed the door and at 256 for 5 with four balls remaining Hugh Morris called it a day.

Sussex bowled only 30 overs during the morning session with Ed Giddins sending down 15 of them as Glamorgan moved from Saturday's 115 for 2 to 244 for 5, despite losing Morris, Tony Cottey and Dale within seven overs while only 15 runs were added.

At 155 for 5 in mid-morning, Glamorgan were far from comfortable. Matthew Maynard and Robert Croft steadied the ship but an overall lead of 260 at lunch was not quite enough to persuade Morris to make an interval declaration.

Maynard and Croft stretched their sixth-wicket partnership to 101 in 18 overs before Stephenson bowled Maynard, for 74, and Anthony with successive deliveries. Neil Kendrick denied Stephenson his hat-trick.