Michael Yardy today paid tribute to team-mate Murray Goodwin after the Sussex pair gilded their reputation as Sussex's most prolific partnership builders.

Their stand of 159 on the first day of the Championship match against Middlesex at sweltering Southgate was their sixth of 100 runs or more since Yardy broke into the side on a regular basis at the start of last season.

But it the first time that either of them did not go on to make a century. Goodwin needlessly ran himself out on 69 and Yardy waved his bat at a wide one when three short of what would have been his second successive ton.

But skipper Chris Adams, who had won his eighth toss out of ten, made sure their good work was not wasted by scoring an unbeaten hundred as Sussex closed day one on 374-5.

Adams only just passed a pre-match fitness test on his badly bruised left thumb but it did not appear to inconvenience him as he reached his second century of the season three overs before the close. Not a bad way to celebrate your 300th first-class match.

Goodwin and Yardy make an odd couple at the crease. Goodwin is compact and strong off the back foot while Yardy prefers getting onto the front foot. But the right and left-handed combination means exasperated bowlers continually have to keep adjusting their lengths as well as their line.

Yardy said: "We've had a lot of good partnerships in the last couple of seasons - we just seem to complement each other. In the past Murray would always tend to outscore me but more often when he is playing a bit more conservatively I have managed to play a few shots.

"He's a great player and sometimes when he is going so well it makes you more determined not to get out so you can keep out there watching some of the shots he plays.

"The most important thing is the job we are doing for the team. Obviously I would have loved another hundred yesterday. I got out to a wide half-volley but if you can't have a go at those when you are on 97 you never will.

"It's a good pitch, you won't get any better for batting on an outground. If we can get to 450 today we will put ourselves in a good position because it will take spin later on."

The value of Goodwin and Yardy's partnerships are becoming increasingly important because of Sussex's struggles at the top of the order.

Richard Montgomerie lasted three balls and opening partner Carl Hopkinson followed in his fifth over, both players trapped in the crease by Chris Silverwood in an impressive new ball burst.

But the third-wicket pair were grimly determined not to squander perfect batting conditions. When Goodwin reached seven he became the first division's leading run scorer, overtaking Hampshire's John Crawley, and he was batting with assurance when he called his partner through for what was always a risky single and was beaten by Eoin Morgan's direct hit from mid off.

Yardy's first aberration came after he had hit 12 fours from 193 balls and batted for nearly four hours.

The platform laid, Adams and Matt Prior set about strengthening Sussex's position either side of tea although Prior never really settled.

He was dropped on nought and six but nevertheless hit eight fours until he played a slog-sweep too early at Jamie Dalrymple.

It was the England one-day off-spinner's only success.

For a while it was vintage Adams. He plonked three straight sixes into the oak trees at the Waterfall Road end including two in the same over off Dalrymple and hit six fours as he raced to 50 off 65 balls in a fifth-wicket stand of 89 in 16 overs.

Luke Wright gave Adams solid support after Prior's dismissal.

Adams' second 50 spanned 89 balls and was more circumspect but he reached the 44th hundred of his first-class career and 23rd for Sussex, which included 12 fours, with a single off Johann Louw.