Kevin Innes struck a crucial blow for Sussex with his second ball of the match to leave the Championship opener against Middlesex evenly poised going into the final day.

The all-rounder ended a partnership of 117 in 29 overs between Andy Strauss and Owais Shah which was threatening to take the match away from the county when he trapped Shah leg before for 61 as the England one-day batsman played across a straight one yesterday.

Moments later the forecast rain finally arrived at Lord's and Middlesex were resuming today on 136-2 in their second innings, still needing 192 to win.

Sussex will fancy their chances if they can make quick inroads and they will also be hoping that the muggy conditions which had made batting such a hazardous occupation earlier in the match return.

In contrast to the first two days, hardly a ball swung and Shah and Strauss were able to hit through the line with increasing confidence after Jason Lewry had defeated Sven Koenig's flat-footed waft in the ninth over with the total on 19.

Mushtaq Ahmed was brought into the attack just before lunch but the leg spinner didn't offer much of a threat in a 12 over spell either side of the interval which cost 59 runs.

There was plenty of frenzied appealing as the occasional leg break fizzed past the bat, but also too much short stuff which Shah, in particular, tucked into with a succession of elegant back-foot drives.

Even when Mushtaq got his length right both batsmen had time to play the ball off the pitch with relative ease.

Shah gave his captain a nine overs start, but he was first to his fifty which he reached with a perfectly-timed square drive. Strauss followed in the next over with a pull over mid-wicket when James Kirtley dropped short and Shah brought up the century partnership by effortlessly lofting Mushtaq over long off for six.

It all looked so easy for the languid Shah who hit seven boundaries and appeared odds-on to improve on a dismal record against Sussex until Innes made what could prove to be a match-turning intervention.

Earlier, Sussex had extended their first innings for another 3.1 overs after bad light had delayed the start for 35 minutes, but the comfort with which he was able to play the quicks would have given Kirtley an idea of how easier batting conditions had become.

Joe Dawes wrapped up the innings when Lewry was caught behind aiming a big drive through the covers, but Sussex's last two wickets put on 58 and they could yet prove to be crucial runs.

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