For Carl Hopkinson, May Day brought both liberation and disappointment. His painstakingly crafted 97, compiled in five hours of careful application, was a career best but he looked aghast when, with a maiden first-class century within sight, he got out to the part-time left-arm spin of Usman Afzaal.

Thanks to Hopkinson and a more sprightly 98 from Murray Goodwin, it was just about Sussex's day after they had been put in on a slow pitch that offered the bowlers little. Two wickets late in the day after Surrey had taken the second new ball were a welcome fillip for the visiting team, who had taken the logical decision to bowl first given that a day had already been lost and Mushtaq Ahmed was unavailable.

If Hopkinson provided the ballast, Goodwin offered greater entertainment on a fine day that was sunny throughout, looking in prime form as he hustled to a fifty in 80 balls. His partnership with Hopkinson was worth 129 in 34 overs until the opener went down the pitch to Afzaal and gave a low return catch.

Goodwin cut and drove powerfully, as well as sweeping adeptly. The latter stroke brought about the downfall of Michael Yardy, who showed visible displeasure at being given out by Neil Mallender, the umpire. It transpired that the batsman felt that his bottom edge had made contact with both his boot and the ground before it ballooned up to Mark Butcher at slip. Mallender felt otherwise, and Yardy's open show of dissent was expected to earn him an unofficial rebuke from the umpires after play.

Surrey took a chance that the ball might dart around in the morning, but there was little movement for either opening bowlers, one of whom, James Ormond, was awarded a one-year contract only 24 hours earlier. Pedro Collins was unlucky not to dismiss Chris Nash on 11 when an inside edge shaved his off stump.

Nash was not so lucky later on when he attempted an ill-advised pull in the last over before lunch and got a bottom edge on to his stumps. Late in the day when the second new ball had been taken, Collins claimed another victim when he had Chris Adams leg-before. With Matt Nicholson having Goodwin caught behind two shy of what would have been a deserved century, Surrey could almost claim that honours were just about even.

Scoreboard

Sussex: First Innings

C D Nash b Collins 46

C D Hopkinson c and b Afzaal 97

M H Yardy c Butcher b Saqlain 12

M W Goodwin c Batty b Nicholson 98

*C J Adams lbw b Collins 28

M J Prior not out 16

R J Kirtley not out 2

Extras (lb 13, w 4, nb 2) 19

Total (5 wkts, 96 overs) 318

L J Wright, R S C Martin-Jenkins, O P Rayner and J D Lewry to bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-87, 2-117, 3-246, 4-283, 5-315.

Bowling: Collins 22-5-72-2; Ormond 17-5-48-0; Jordan 15-2-48-0; Nicholson 19-5-51-1; Saqlain 17-1-64-1; Afzaal 6-0-22-1.

Surrey: S A Newman, J N Batty,M R Ramprakash, *M A Butcher, U Afzaal, A D Brown, C J Jordan, M J Nicholson, J Ormond, Saqlain Mushtaq, P T Collins.

Umpires: R A Kettleborough and N A Mallender.