A little epic of a match should reach an exciting climax late today if Sussex are bowled out, or Chris Adams times his declaration right. It will be a delicate one in view of the four players with Test-match experience in Somerset's top six, a still lively pitch and the rapid outfield that adds to the pleasure of batting and watching, if not of bowling, at Cricketfield Road. It is exactly 100 years since Sussex first played here.

Crowds totalling 7,000, including many keen youngsters, have watched the first three days of this year's Emcel Filters Horsham Festival in weather that has veered from ice-cream to icy. Yesterday's spectators traded blustery conditions and the odd shower for the pleasure of watching robust second innings by Mike Yardy and Adams and a commanding display of high-class strokeplay by Matt Prior in the evening session.

His 73 off 76 balls included 13 fours and manoeuvred Sussex into position to launch an attempt on a necessary victory today after Yardy had set a properly brisk example, making 68 off 87 balls with some punchy driving. Cruelly, he was run out at the non-striker's end from a bowler's deflection for the second match running.

Scoreboard

Sussex: First Innings 419 (M W Goodwin 137, M H Yardy 68, C J Adams 61)

Second Innings
M H Yardy run out 68
C D Nash lbw b Caddick 18
L J Wright c Langer b Blackwell 17
M W Goodwin c Blackwell b Caddick 21
†M J Prior c Kieswetter b Jones 73
*C J Adams not out 44
C D Hopkinson not out 8
Extras (lb 8, w 1, nb 6) 15

Total (5 wkts, 63 overs) 264

Fall of wickets: 1-57, 2-104, 3-124, 4-148, 5-242.

Bowling: Caddick 14-4-51-2; Willoughby 5-0-41-0; Jones 14-1-76-1; Phillips 7-1-20-0; Trego 6-0-30-0; Blackwell 17-3-38-1.

Somerset: First Innings (overnight 253-4)
J C Hildreth run out 61
I D Blackwell c Prior b Wright 4
†C Kieswetter c Wright b Collymore 2
B J Phillips c Wright b Collymore 4
P S Jones c Collymore b Martin-Jenkins 25
A R Caddick lbw b Lewry 11
C M Willoughby not out 0
Extras (b 9, lb 11, nb 5) 25

Total (87.1 overs) 348

Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-174, 3-198, 4-253, 5-259, 6-272, 7-289, 8-322, 9-343.

Bowling: Lewry 20-1-70-2; Collymore 21.1-5-65-2; Martin-Jenkins 21-5-71-3; Rayner 8-0-55-0; Wright 17-3-67-2.

Umpires: J H Evans and T E Jesty.