COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Hove:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY THREE: Yorkshire 403 and 147-2 v Sussex 448 (Sussex 8pts, Yorkshire 7pts)
16-19 September 2009

Sussex hero Hamilton-Brown bats in glasses because of a stigmatism

Rory Hamilton-Brown revived Sussex's hopes of avoiding relegation with a career-best 171 not out in the crucial Division One tussle with Yorkshire.

The 22-year-old made his maiden Championship hundred at Hove in only his seventh first-class match as Sussex gained a 45-run first-innings lead.

But Sussex wasted a chance to build a big lead as they lost their last five wickets for 56 in 15 overs after lunch.

And Yorkshire closed on 147-2, leading by 102 and now likely to force a draw.

Having resumed on 32, Hamilton-Brown eventually departed to a standing ovation, the highest score by a Sussex batsman at Hove this season having come off 210 balls.

Using his feet well against the spinners, he struck 20 fours - the majority through the off side - and hit slow left-armer David Wainwright for two sixes, one down the ground and the second through extra cover.

He had extended his fifth-wicket stand with Murray Goodwin to 128 in 32 overs before the Zimbabwean veteran was bowled off his legs sweeping at Wainwright after making 68, his own highest score of the season at Hove.

Andrew Hodd then helped Hamilton-Brown put on 99 in 23 overs either side of lunch but Yorkshire fought back well in the afternoon.

Hodd was well taken to his right by Rudolph at slip and in a fiery spell down the slope Shahzad then picked up his fourth wicket when Dwayne Smith checked a drive and was caught and bowled.

When Piyush Chawla edged to slip off Wainwright Sussex had lost three wickets in five overs, but number 10 Corey Collymore gave Hamilton-Brown decent support in a stand of 28 before Wainwright took two wickets in three balls to remove Collymore and Jason Lewry and claim his maiden Championship five-wicket haul.

In response, Yorkshire had just gone back in front in their second innings when Joe Sayers, who had just passed 1,000 runs for the season for the first time, was caught behind.

Adam Lyth, dropped on three at short leg, was then bowled around his legs for 31. But South African opener Jacques Rudolph perhaps holds the key, having passed 50 for the ninth time in the Championship this season.

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