Sussex were grateful to have a player who loves nothing better than making runs at Horsham leading their fightback against Warwickshire.

Opener Richard Montgomerie, who played junior cricket for Warwickshire, has made three hundreds here and will fancy his chances of another after progressing to 47 not out without too many problems on the second day at Cricketfield Road.

The county's first target of 451 to avoid the follow-on is still some way off after Warwickshire piled up 600-6 declared, but Montgomerie and Ian Ward did much as they pleased on a benign pitch to reach 84-0 before a ferocious storm ended play 13 overs early.

Ward did have a let-off in the ninth over when Warwickshire captain Nick Knight spilled a low catch at slip off Dewald Pretorius when he had made 10.

The South African was entitled to let out a cry of frustration. It was one of the few occasions when the ball beat the bat on a day when no wickets fell in 82 overs.

The earlier part of the day had been dominated by Ian Bell who batted for just under ten hours to become the youngest double-century maker in Warwickshire's history.

It is hard to be critical of a player who walked off with 262 not out to his name, but it was not until he had broken that particular record that Bell really blossomed although he timed his shots well and didn't offer a chance.

Four of his five sixes came after he had reached 200 as the crowd belatedly came to life having spent most of a soporific afternoon ticking off the records set by the 22-year-old and wicketkeeper Tony Frost.

Their stand of 289 equalled Warwickshire's seventh wicket record which was only set four years ago by Dougie Brown, who is playing in this match, and Ashley Giles, also against Sussex.

Bell's 262 was a new individual record for Horsham where county cricket was first played in 1908, as was their partnership.

The batsmen did much as they pleased. The pitch has gone to sleep and there was little lateral movement to interest the Sussex quicks either.

The county's attack endured five long hours without taking a wicket after Bell and Frost came together an hour before the close on the first day, although Frost did offer two chances either side of lunch. How Sussex were made to suffer when neither of them was accepted.

Tim Ambrose was unusually untidy behind the stumps and could only tip the ball goalkeeper-style over the slip's head when Frost was on 19.

James Kirtley, who again lacked his usual rhythm, was the unlucky bowler on that occasion while Mushtaq Ahmed was denied a fifth wicket when Montgomerie dropped a catch which he would normally have expected to take at short leg with Frost on 56.

There was no lack of effort on the part of the bowlers, but Sussex seemed to be waiting for the declaration long before it came 30 minutes before tea. The atmosphere in the field was as flat as week-old beer and even Mushtaq was subdued, especially when his 50th and final over disappeared for 19 runs.

Warwickshire's run rate never got above four an over until Bell belatedly went on the attack as the declaration loomed.