If Chris Adams felt he was taking on Glamorgan single-handedly at Colwyn Bay yesterday it was with some justification.

Adams can seldom have batted better for Sussex than he did here in making 156, his first Championship hundred since last May.

He followed that up with an undefeated 68 in the second innings when the quality of his driving, both straight and through the off side which brought him a six and 11 fours, had the purists sunning themselves on the grass bank at Penrhyn Avenue purring with delight.

Sadly, only Umer Rashid, who scored his maiden century, and, in the final session, Robin Martin-Jenkins gave him the support he needs if Sussex are to stave off a third successive Championship defeat some time today.

They closed on 168-4 after the fifth wicket pair put on 118 and require another 208 just to avoid an innings defeat.

Adams said: "I was getting a bit worried that I was going to go through the season without making a hundred so that was a relief. My century was a bit gritty, but Umer's was majestic and I'm very pleased for him."

When Adams and Rashid were putting on 232, the county's third highest sixth wicket partnership, Sussex were at last competing with their opponents on equal terms.

But once Adams fell for 156 in the third over with the new ball wickets tumbled in all too familiar fashion and 75 minutes after his first innings dismissal Adams was back out in the middle, seven wickets having fallen in the interim for the addition of just 49 runs.

The tail failed to muster the 32 runs needed when their captain departed to secure a fourth bonus point and, when they followed on 376 behind, openers Michael Yardy and Richard Montgomerie were back in the hutch before tea.

Tony Cottey and Will House followed after the interval when only 50 had been knocked off the arrears but, if anything, Adams was playing even better than he had done earlier in the day and Martin-Jenkins overcame a shaky start to help him add 118 for the fifth wicket.

Adams had called for his team-mates to show a bit more fight after their dismal collapse on the second day and Rashid responded with an innings which should earn him promotion up the order.

It was the tall left-hander who played most of the attacking shots in the morning session when Sussex added 110 runs.

He twice deposited Dean Cosker over the rope, once straight and then over mid-wicket, and the quality of his off side shots earned some admiring glances from his captain.

His first 50 came off 119 balls, but he needed just 48 more deliveries to reach his maiden hundred which included 16 boundaries.

"It was a good position in a way because all I had to do was bat time and not worry about the scoreboard," said Rashid.

"But it was an amazing feeling when I got to 100, hopefully I can take the confidence I get from it into the rest of the season."

After lunch, Rashid matched his captain shot for shot as the pair put on 96 in 15 overs.

It was thrilling entertainment for another big crowd and no one begrudged Adams the good fortune he enjoyed on the way to his highest score for nearly two years.

On 63 he was dropped at short leg off Cosker and Robert Croft spilled a straight-forward slip catch in the first over after lunch when he had made 103.

Adams made him pay by scoring another 53 and he had hit a straight six off Croft and 17 boundaries and faced 294 balls when Wharf found some extra bounce in the docile pitch with the new ball and Adams was caught off the splice at gully.

What followed hardly did Wharf credit as ran down the pitch and goaded Adams in a childish display of triumphalism.

He was immediately warned by both umpires and is fortunate the incident won't be reported to the ECB.

Rashid edged Steve Watkin to slip in the next over after hitting two sixes and 18 fours in his 110 and what followed was all too predictable, the last five wickets falling in nine overs for the addition of just 24 runs with Wharf finishing with a career-best 5-68.

It didn't get much better when Sussex followed on.

Wharf defeated Michael Yardy's crooked defensive bat and Montgomerie gloved the penultimate ball before tea to third slip.

When Cottey was caught on the fence hooking at Watkin in the second over after the break the county were tottering again on 26-3.

Will House gave a glimpse of his potential, driving Watkin stylishly for three boundaries before he became the first lbw victim of the match.

He can count himself unfortunate too because the ball from Adrian Dale which he played across seemed to be drifting down the leg side.

At the start of his innings it looked as if Martin-Jenkins might be out at any time.

Wharf gave him a thorough working over, but the tall all-rounder took the fight back to the bowler with some powerful leg side blows including a huge six over mid-wicket when Wharf dropped short.