Sussex v Lancashire: Day 3

Sussex 145-4 (47.2) Fifty stand between Joyce and Wright just brought up as Joyce, whose second half-century of the game came off 90 balls, moves to 54. Luke Wright is 33, having been dropped at slip by Paul Horton when Anderson returned for another spell. Fascinating game this, hard to say who has the best chance of winning. Two overs remaining after this one from Keedy.

WICKET: Sussex 95-4 (31.4) Prior gone for a second-ball duck, lbw. Got a very big stride in but not enough to convince umpire Illingworth and that's a second wicket in the over for Keedy. Lancashire cock-a-hoop now.

WICKET: Sussex 95-3 (31.2) Goodwin's a goner for 20. Once again he came down the pitch trying to hit Keedy through the leg side but missed - and Sutton had the bails off in a flash. Ended a stand of 50 in 18 overs with Joyce, who is 40 not out and joined now by Prior. Sussex 90-2 (26) Joyce is batting with more fluency than he did in the first innings and has just slog-swept Keedy between the two fielders on the leg-side boundary for the first six of the game. He's onto 40 and Goodwin is 15. Chapple back for another spell from the Cromwell Road end.

Sussex 75-2 (21) It's been Tom Smith and Gary Keedy since tea and Smith was convinced Goodwin had gloved a lifter in the last over to Sutton behind the stumps but umpire Hartley - and Goodwin - were unmoved. Goodwin on 11 and Joyce 29. Not much sign of turn for the slow left-armer who is bowling to defensive fields with just a slip. Oh, as I write they have just posted a short leg.

TEA: Sussex 59-2 (18) No further alarms for Sussex before tea. Joyce clipped a leg-stump half-volley to the boundary in the last over from Anderson and is now on 19 with Goodwin 5. Sussex lead by 49 at the break. Back in 20.

WICKET: Sussex 45-2 (13.4) Yardy out for 22 and a second wicket for Anderson. Yardy shouldered arms and the ball has deflected off the base of his bat onto his off stump. He made 22 and was looking good. Four overs to tea after this one and Murray Goodwin is out there with Joyce, who is 10 not out.

Sussex 28-1 (9) A press-box colleague has just pointed out that these updates are also being carried on the Lancashire Evening Telegraph website so greetings to everyone in the Ribblesdale Valley from sunny Hove. Out in the middle, Yardy is 15 and Joyce yet to register. Fascinating game this, don't ask me who's going to win it though.

WICKET: Sussex 24-1 (7.2) Anderson switches ends and gets a wicket with his second ball. Nash had belted his first delivery from the sea end for four but he's just nicked outside off stump and Luke Sutton has gathered safely in moving to his right. He made 13. Yardy is 11 and the new batsman is Ed Joyce.

Sussex 20-0 (6) So far so good for Sussex in their second dig. They have ensured that Lancashire will have to bat again by wiping out their deficit of 10 and both have hit boundaries, Nash's square drive off Chapple particularly easy on the eye. He is 9 and Yardy 11. Anderson has opened up from the Cromwell Road end but as I speak he is being replaced by Mahmood. Not much evidence around the ground that England is celebrating it's patron saint today, although the club's venerable librarian Rob Boddie has got a St George's flag in the lapel of his Sussex blazer. A baby has just started to cry in the pavilion. This is a noise the Times' reporter Richard Hobson is going to have to get used to as he is due to become a father next week.

LANCASHIRE 299 all out A maiden first-class five-for for Luke Wright who gets Mahmood as his fifth victim, lbw for 26 playing across the line. Anderson finished nine not out. Wright took 5-80 from 27.5 overs, RMJ 3-50 from 25 and Collymore 2-73 from 27. Good fightback by Sussex who took the last six wickets for 97 today and denied Lancashire a third batting point.

WICKET: Lancashire 284-9 (109.2) A fourth wicket for Wright who squares up Keedy and the edge is held low down in front of him by Prior. He made 7. Mahmood is 20 not out and it's last man Anderson making his way to the middle. You could say this one is evenly poised.

WICKET: Lancashire 273-8 (106.5) Third wicket for RMJ and a similar dismissal to Chilton as Chapple is drawn forward and gets a feint edge to Matt Prior. He made between 3 and 5. Mahmood is 16 and Gary Keedy is the new batsman.

Lancashire 269-7 (104.4) Back after lunch and Mahmood seems in the mood to get on with things, crashing RMJ off the back foot for four earlier in this over. Luke W continuing at the sea end. Mahmood is 12 and Chapple 4.

LUNCH: Lancashire 259-7 (102) 50 runs in 32 overs and three wickets = a good morning for the Martlets. Chapple 4 and Mahmood 2 not out at luncheon. Back after the break.

WICKET: Lancashire 257-7 (99.2) Two wickets in four balls with Sutton now gone for 20, caught behind off a thin edge as he pushed forward to Luke Wright. Third wicket for Wright. Sajid Mahmood is the new batsman, Chapple still on 4.

WICKET: Lancashire 253-6 (98.5) RMJ strikes and Chilton's out for 89, lbw to his old Durham University chum missing a straight one that the batsman was working through square. Just what Sussex needed that and deserved reward for a persevering RMJ who is three overs into a new spell from the sea end. Sutton is 20 and Glen Chapple has just glanced RMJ down the leg side for four to get off the mark.

Lancashire 238-5 (94) First really positive shot from Chilton in the last over as he fastened onto a short ball from Wright and smacked it to the mid-wicket boundary. He's onto 82 and Sutton is 12. First signs in the last half hour or so of some uneven bounce on this pitch with a couple of balls from Wright (D) popping up off the splice. Wonder if we'll see Aga before lunch. He bowled too many four-balls in his seven overs yesterday so Yardy may be reluctant to use him when every other seamer so far has been going at around two runs an over. Same might also apply to the slow left-armer Tom Smith.

Lancashire 215-5 (84) New ball taken after 82 overs and Collymore should have got a wicket straight away as Sutton drove impatiently at the Bajan and Joyce dropped him at slip. Wright's spell this morning was 5-4-4-1 and he's been replaced by his namesake. Six runs in 14 overs and 50 minutes this morning.

Lancashire 214-5 (80) No, it's not a typo. No runs in the last 3.3 overs. Wright must be swinging it big time. His last ball passed outside off stump but Prior took it moving a yard or so to his left behind the poles. Collymore into the attack now at the sea end for RMJ. Him and Wright (D) need to get a few overs into their legs according to the coach. Robinson felt they looked a bit laboured in the final session yesterday and is relying on the restorative properties of a good night's kip and an ice bath to get them moving today.

Lancashire 214-5 (76.3) Good stuff this by Wright and RMJ. The batsmen have hardly been able to lay a bat on Luke, the only scoring shot off his bowling a thick edge past diving second slip for four which got Sutton off the mark. Just five runs in seven overs so far. Chilton is on 73. If, as I suspect, Luke W is reversing the ball, Sussex may delay taking the new conker.

WICKET: Lancashire 209-5 (71.1) Croft out without adding to his overnight 59 and a wicket off the seventh ball of the day. Croft played a loose drive at Luke Wright, bowling from the Cromwell Road end, and Ed Joyce did the rest at slip. Comfortable height although the ball fairly smacked into his hands. Just what Sussex needed. New batsman is Luke Sutton, Chilton at the other end on 72.

Good morning everyone and welcome to our third day's coverage of Sussex's Championship match against Lancashire. The visitors will resume at 11 on 209-4 with Mark Chilton (72) and Steven Croft (59) the not out batsmen. On the first two days the ball has done more in the morning than later on and Sussex coach Mark Robinson fully expects his bowlers to come hard at Lancashire this morning. Don't forget a new ball is available in ten overs.

Don't forget this is an interactive service so if you want to leave a comment about the match or a query I'll do my best to help.