Skipper Chris Adams led the praise for brilliant Michael Bevan after the Australian's match-winning 173 took Sussex to the top of the second division at Southgate yesterday.

Bevan became only the second Sussex batsman to score four hundreds in five first-class innings, equalling the achievement of Gehan Mendis back in 1985, as Sussex beat Middlesex by seven wickets to go three points clear of Worcestershire at the top.

In the process he became the first batsman to 1,000 runs this season and is now top of the averages with 1,098 runs at 91.5, 694 of those runs coming in the last three remarkable weeks.

Adams said: "In terms of entertainment it's up there with all the innings Bev has played in the last few weeks, but from a purist's point of view I would say that's the best I've seen him or anyone bat in my time with Sussex.

"The pitch was turning and he was up against Phil Tufnell who I rate as the best English spinner, but he just exuded confidence and class.

"Bev didn't say too much about it afterwards, but deep down I think he considered it his best."

The statistics have come as easily as the superlatives when describing Bevan's extraordinary feats since he made a second-ball duck against Essex on July 12.

Since then he has taken batting to a new level and yet he still felt a tinge of disappointment yesterday when he wasn't able to sign off before three weeks in Australia by beating his previous best of 174 which was made just ten days ago against Nottinghamshire.

It wasn't for the want of trying. He raced from 142 to 168 after lunch with a calculated assault on off-spinner Keith Dutch which brought him three boundaries and two huge straight sixes, one of which carried fully 100 yards onto a neighbouring cricket pitch.

A single off Angus Fraser took him to 169 and Sussex to within three runs of victory, but in trying to clear the ropes off Dutch again his straight drive rattled the boundary board on the first bounce instead. In all he hit 21 fours and three sixes, facing 191 balls in 262 minutes.

Adams is right, this was the best of his eight centuries for Sussex simply because of the situation in which it was played.

When Sussex resumed yesterday they still needed 150 for victory and an early wicket or two would have swung the balance back in Middlesex's favour.

Justin Langer rang the bowling changes, but Bevan never looked like getting out.

His shot selection was once again outstanding and his calculated attacks on both Dutch and Tufnell left Middlesex skipper Langer running out of options so quickly that he was forced to employ Mark Ramprakash's very occasional off spin in search of a breakthrough.

All the while James Kirtley was playing the nightwatchman's role to perfection in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 166 in 43 overs and his contribution should not be overlooked.

He clearly relished blunting the threat of Tufnell with composed defensive play which would not have shamed far better batsman.

And, as he gained in confidence, he even earned an admiring nod of approval from his partner when he glanced Fraser for a boundary to end a personal run drought which had spanned 14 overs and 49 minutes.