SHAUN Humphries rediscovered his form with the bat to dig Sussex out of a whole at Sophia Gardens yesterday.

Sussex's wicketkeeper made 55 as Sussex recovered from 104-6 to make 222 on the first day against Glamorgan, and then James Kirtley had dangerman Steve James caught at square leg before Adrian Dale was leg before to Mark Robinson playing no shot as the hosts finished on 39-2.

It's not the first time that Humphries, who only broke into the team a year ago, has embarked on a rescue mission for his county.

At Tunbridge Wells last June he came in at 84-7 and helped the tail add 105 precious runs against Kent, making a career-best 66 in a low-scoring game which Sussex eventually won.

Since then Humphries hasn't made more than 20 in a Championship innings, but he worked hard on his batting in the winter and it paid off yesterday as his patient 55 pulled Sussex around after they had slumped to 104-6 just before lunch.

There were some moments of alarm, notably when Adrian Dale dropped a straightforward chance at square when he had made 44.

But for the most part, Humphries showed the application required on a slow pitch with the added hazard of uneven bounce at the Cathedral Road end.

He added 28 with James Kirtley and then 71 in 28 overs with Umer Rashid who played his part in the recovery with an elegant 43 before both fell to 21-year-old medium-fast bowler Simon Jones who finished with 5-31 in only his fourth Championship game.

The patience they showed had been lacking among Sussex's more established batsman, although Glamorgan deserve credit for tigerish bowling and some superb close catching.

There was little hint of the collapse to come when Richard Montgomerie and Toby Peirce added 42 in the first hour.

But Jones, whose father Jeff played 15 Tests for England in the Sixties, struck with his third delivery when Montgomerie mis-timed a pull and the ball dollied up to mid-off.

In the next over, Adrian Dale trapped Peirce in front as he tried to pull a ball that straightened on him and Michael Di Venuto's disappointing start continued when Jones pushed one across the left-hander in his fourth over and Robert Croft took a superb low catch at slip.

But the joy Croft felt at that dismissal was nothing compared to his dance of delight when he snared his old pal Tony Cottey in his third over.

Cottey had been warmly applauded by his old crowd on his return to Cardiff and had made six when he pushed forward to the first ball Croft bowled at him only to see it go straight into the hands of silly mid off.

Cottey departed crestfallen and Glamorgan set about blowing away the rest of the top order.

Chris Adams looked in superb nick, twice hoisting Croft back over the sightscreen for six. But when he flashed hard outside off stump at Darren Thomas, Matthew Maynard somehow clung onto the excocet at second slip.

Rajesh Rao played a leaden-footed slash at a ball he should have left alone to give Thomas his second wicket and it was left to Humphries to begin the rebuilding job.

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