IT LOOKED as though only a bolt of lighting could prevent Sussex from beginning their defence of the Frizzell County Championship with a comprehensive victory yesterday until Scott Newman led Surrey from darkness into light with the kind of performance that they badly needed to restore their battered pride.

The lightning flashed with Surrey 110 runs away from avoiding an innings defeat at 79 for five and, as thunder rumbled from the clouds circling the Oval, persuaded the umpires to take the players off under a new regulation that allows the groundstaff time to get the covers on before they are in danger from the elements.

Sussex protested that they were losing valuable time when the expected downpour did not materialise, but they were not complaining when play resumed only six minutes later. Robin Martin-Jenkins immediately had Adam Hollioake caught behind and, better still, the sky began to clear.

It was 88 for seven when Azhar Mahmood played on, driving at Mohammad Akram, but then Newman, batting at No 7 because he had been off the field with a hamstring injury, and Martin Bicknell, nursing a similar injury, held them up with an eighth-wicket partnership of 100.

Surrey were still one run short of making Sussex bat again when Bicknell was bowled by Mushtaq Ahmed to give the Pakistan leg spinner his 1,000th first-class wicket, but Jimmy Ormond helped Newman to add another 41 for the ninth wicket. The lead had been extended to 65 with only five overs left when the players shook hands on a draw. Newman, playing in only his sixth first-class match, finished unbeaten on 86, having batted for 152 minutes, faced 125 balls and hit 15 fours.

Chris Adams, the Sussex captain, said: “We genuinely believed that fate would get us the win but Newman was brilliant and you’ve got to give credit where it is due. You don’t often play Surrey and nearly take full points inside three days so we take a very positive feeling from that. If we play to that level throughout the season we’ll not only win the title again but we’ll win it by some margin.”

SURREY: First Innings 304 (Azhar Mahmood 84; R S C Martin-Jenkins 4 for 59)

Second Innings

*J N Batty lbw b Martin-Jenkins 22
I D K Salisbury b Mohammad Akram 18
M R Ramprakash lbw b Mohammad Akram 21
J G E Benning c Ambrose b Lewry 1
A D Brown c Ambrose b Martin-Jenkins 13
A J Hollioake c Adams b Martin-Jenkins 4
S A Newman not out 86
Azhar Mahmood b Mohammad Akram 0
M P Bicknell b Mushtaq 37
J Ormond c Ambrose b Mohammad Akram 19
T J Murtagh not out 9
Extras (b 4, lb 6, nb 14) 24

Total (9 wkts, 73.3 overs) 254

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-33, 2-51, 3-52, 4-75, 5-79, 6-79, 7-88, 8-188, 9-229.

BOWLING: Mohammad Akram 19.3-6-85-4; Lewry 16-5-46-1; Martin-Jenkins 20-7-47-3; Mushtaq Ahmed 14-2-54-1; Innes 4-0-12-0.

SUSSEX: First Innings

I J Ward lbw b Murtagh 82
R R Montgomerie c Salisbury b Bicknell 25
M W Goodwin c Brown b Azhar Mahmood 2
*C J Adams lbw b Ormond 101
T R Ambrose c Brown b Murtagh 56
M J Prior c Brown b Murtagh 36
R S C Martin-Jenkins c Ormond b Bicknell 31
K J Innes lbw b Hollioake 22
Mushtaq Ahmed run out 17
J D Lewry c Batty b Salisbury 72
Mohammad Akram not out 31
Extras (b 1, lb 12, w 1, nb 4) 18

Total (135.4 overs) 493 Score at 130 overs: 468-9

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-85, 2-110, 3-128, 4-232, 5-311, 6-315, 7-364, 8-370, 9-406.

BOWLING: Bicknell 24-4-87-2; Ormond 28-6-85-1; Azhar Mahmood 23-2-83-1; Salisbury 23.4-2-86-1; Murtagh 23-8-65-3; Benning 2-0-15-0; Hollioake 6-0-35-1; Brown 6-0-24-0.

Umpires: D J Constant and J F Steele.