FOR Sussex, 12 months on from the end of their greatest season, there is only the consolation of the minor places to play for in this final match of the summer. For Mike Yardy, however, the chance to open the batting here in the absence of Ian Ward, who is ill, represented a big opportunity beyond the narrow confines of this year’s championship.

The 23-year-old left-hander has been a fringe player at Hove for five seasons now, never letting the county down when called upon to plug a gap and patiently waiting.

Yardy, who gives the impression of being the sort of cricketer to make the very most of himself, would have been particularly delighted to be playing in his 38th first-class match against Surrey, against whom he made 69 in a courageous five-hour bid to stave off defeat at the Oval last year.

On 69 overnight, he sped confidently into the nineties yesterday with a rush of boundaries, before sweeping Nayan Doshi’s spin for a single to reach his maiden championship hundred. He had hit 16 fours, from 209 balls, and, with Tony Cottey retiring, he knows there is a permanent place available next summer.

Sussex went into lunch on 229 for four but, in the first two overs afterwards, their position of strength was dissipated by the loss of both Yardy and Matt Prior. Prior strayed from his crease and was run out as Rikki Clarke side-footed the ball into the stumps. Yardy then thin-edged behind, playing back to Doshi and, after rain claimed 32 overs from the afternoon, Sussex lost their remaining four wickets for five runs to a succession of poor shots.