From champion county to a side uncomfortably familiar with following on. Sussex, beaten by an innings in their previous two encounters, followed on for the third successive match yesterday and will have to bat exceptionally well today to save themselves from another defeat.

Where Sussex’s seam attack could make no impact, Matt Nicholson and Rikki Clarke shared eight wickets in the first innings with some impressive, penetrative bowling on a flat pitch. While “scoreboard pressure” would have been a factor in the Sussex batsmen’s minds as they chased a follow-on target of 477, it provided little excuse for the loss of the last six wickets for 52. At 313 for four, Sussex were on course to make Surrey bat again.

Clarke, though, changed the whole complexion of the match with a telling spell in mid-afternoon. Bounding in up the hill, he bowled fast and, equally significant, on a good length. He has always been apt to bowl too short, but if he can consistently produce this level of excellence, he is going to challenge seriously for a Test place.

Having removed the stubborn Richard Montgomerie in the morning, Jonathan Batty taking a superb diving catch, Clarke broke a promising fifth-wicket stand of 84 when Andrew Hodd fenced to second slip. Not long after, Robin Martin-Jenkins, wafting outside off stump, was taken at the wicket. Clarke was now given a breather, whereupon Nicholson claimed his fifth victim when Murray Goodwin leg-glanced to the wicket-keeper.

It was an inauspicious end to a fine innings, Goodwin completing what was his 50th first-class hundred. He had come to the crease in the first over of the day when Chris Nash, his feet not really moving, was bowled by one that Nicholson got to hold its line. Making the bowlers bowl straight to him by playing at nothing wide of off stump, Goodwin raced to his fifty from 60 balls before digging in for his second fifty, which took him 103 balls.

As strike bowler even if Clarke was quicker than him, Nicholson did his job well. He claimed the wicket of Chris Adams thanks to a well-judged catch at long leg. Nayan Doshi steadied himself for an age before holding on to the sort of steepler that most fielders are delighted not to be under.

When Sussex followed on, Nicholson dismissed both openers thanks to his extra bounce.