Chris Adams has come under fire from Hampshire captain Shane Warne as their sledging row rumbles on.

The Sussex skipper said Warne had over-stepped the mark during last week's Championship game, accusing him in The Argus of trying to humiliate his young players and in particular wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

Warne admitted he tried to get under Prior's skin because he had "chested" Simon Katich.

He said: "I thought cricket was a non-contact sport. I was sticking up for my mate and letting Prior know what I thought about his behaviour.

"I think Adams needs to put his own house in order before he goes complaining to the newspapers.

"If he had a problem he should have been man enough to complain to me in person after the game.

"And if I was as bad as he suggests then why didn't the umpires step in and say something?

"Hampshire will play tough and hard this season but will not make cricket a contact sport.

"If Adams has lost respect for me then I can certainly say that whatever respect I have for him has disappeared too."

Hampshire have accused Adams of hypocrisy. In a statement yesterday they said: "We regard his views as somewhat hypocritical given the way Chris behaved during the match and in previous Sussex-Hampshire fixtures.

"However, we are not inclined to elaborate on any incident publicly."

Adams was happy to get on with the job of trying to win Championship matches for Sussex yesterday.

He won the toss for the third game in a row and, despite losing both openers cheaply against Nottinghamshire, would have been happy with Sussex's start on a first day at Trent Bridge restricted to 36.3 overs.

Only nine balls were possible after lunch because of rain.

Richard Montgomerie edged to slip off Ryan Sidebottom in the seventh over and Ian Ward played around a straight one from Mark Ealham as the county lost both openers with 38 on the board during a testing first 75 minutes.

But as batting conditions eased Mike Yardy (38) and Murray Goodwin (33) played with increasing fluency in an unbroken stand of 78 for the third wicket which took Sussex to 116-2.

Two heavy downpours put paid to the chances of a resumption.

April 28, 2005