Date-stamped : 20 Jul97 - 10:21 Crawley drives down Sussex By D J Rutnagur at Old Trafford First day of four: Lancs 380-5 v Sussex DESPITE the frailty of Sussex`s batting, it is too early to say Lancashire will claim retribution for the humiliation suf- fered at Hove last week but a monumental third-wicket stand between John Crawley and Neil Fairbrother, who both made cen- turies, ensured Sussex will not repeat that triumph here. Ironically, the hero of that notable Sussex NatWest Trophy win, Keith Greenfield, was at the root of Sussex`s tribulations, dropping Crawley at first slip off Mark Robinson before he had scored. Craw- ley`s dismissal then would have reduced Lancashire to 59 for three, a situation which would have vindicated Peter Moores`s decision to bowl first. It was the obvious ploy for the pitch was damp enough to re- quire frequent tending with the toe of the bat and, with the sky a blanket of cloud, it was likely to remain so for quite a while. The ball came off it at varying speeds, and swung and deviated on pitching. If Sussex had to wait 15 overs for a breakthrough, it was due to watchful batting by Mike Atherton and Jason Gallian, playing his first championship innings since fracturing a fin- ger six weeks ago. Both fell to exceptionally good balls. Gallian had his off stump uprooted by Robinson with one that left him, and a sharp breakback from James Kirtley accounted for Atherton. Crawley`s reprieve, however, condemned Sussex, whose attack was reinforced by the return of Paul Jarvis, to a long slog. Craw- ley drove fluently and clipped the ball off his legs, and Fair- brother remorselessly took toll of the bad ball as they piled on 243 runs in 58 overs. A lapse in concentration might well have been Crawley`s undo- ing. His dismissal led to a minor collapse but Lancashire were too strongly fortified to be troubled by these reverses. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Sussex under siege after bowlers falter By D J Rutnagur at Old Trafford Second day of four: Sussex (156-5) trail Lancs (561-8 dec) by 405 runs PILING up the third largest total by any county this season and then seizing four wickets before encountering any resistance, Lan- cashire placed Sussex under heavy siege, a situation in which they seem to find themselves match after match. Needing to beat their highest score of the season by one run to avoid the follow on, all escape routes seem blocked. If Sussex, despite being without a win, have managed to stay clear of the bottom of the table, it is because their seam bowlers have served them well enough to give them the highest tally of bowling points before the start of the current match. But even they could not maintain their standards and were col- lectively reduced to pulp during a partnership of 119 for the sixth wicket between Mike Watkinson, whose 75 was only his sec- ond score of over 50 this season, and Ian Austin, undefeated with 78. In the morning, Vasbert Drakes bowled respectably with the second new ball and came near to a breakthrough when Watkinson top-edged a hook at a bouncer. Encouraged by this near success, he dug the ball in again twice and was both times hooked for six, causing him to lose heart. With the relaid pitch utterly de- void of pace, anything pitched short invited punishment. Sharing the new ball with Drakes from the Warwick Road end, James Kirtley bowled too poor a line and length and was kept on for longer than he deserved. Paul Jarvis, laid off by injury recently, looked rusty and was scattered about until he produced a good in- swinger to bring Watkinson to book. Austin was not at his most fluent, but he was never troubled and preyed on the bad balls with meaty shots to hit nine fours. Warren Hegg and Gary Yates did not last long, but Peter Martin, after getting away with a snick from his first ball, rubbed salt into Sus- sex`s wounds with some lusty blows. Lancashire would have been nearer their third win in consecu- tive matches but for a sturdy innings of 82 by Neil Taylor, the on- ly Sussex batsman to have made more than one century this summer. The sun shone briefly during the early stages of Sus- sex`s reply, but it brought them little comfort. At one stage, they were 65 for four but Taylor, bulkier than in his Kent days and more closed in stance, played with freedom to hit 11 fours and a six before Yates seduced him into a fatal error with a flighted ball and had him caught at extra-cover. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Newell slows down march to victory By D J Rutnagur at Old Trafford Third day of four: Sussex (307 & 150-4) trail Lancashire (561-8 dec) by 104 runs A STERLING innings of 74 by Keith Newell before Sussex`s first innings was wrapped up, and dogged resistance from all concerned when they followed on, 254 runs behind, slowed down Lancashire`s march to victory. The weather is set fair and the pitch is yield- ing co- pious turn - some of it sharp and accompanied by bounce. Sussex, who battled hard to put a brave face on impending de- feat, needed a fair bit of luck to be saved further damage. Bill Athey, who made a determined 53 and was out only four min- utes before the end, could have been out before he had scored his first run off the 40th ball he faced and survived a diffi- cult chance to short-leg shortly after he had got off the mark. There was more character and application to Sussex`s batting when they continued their fragmented first innings and it took Lan- cashire all morning and 20 minutes after lunch to take the five remaining wickets. Newell, who batted with a sensible mix of care and enterprise, and was eighth out from a mistimed hook at Ian Austin, not long before lunch, had the support of Peter Moores and Vasbert Drakes, who played some forthright shots. The tail, too, was defiant, Mark Robinson, once rated the most vulnerable No 11 in the land, making a career- best 27 in flamboyant style. When Sussex batted again, Neil Lenham and Rajesh Rao saw off the new ball without fuss, but then fell in quick succession, both victims of brilliant leg-side catches by Warren Hegg. Rao hooked late at one that Jason Gallian slanted across him and Lenham was snapped up trying to glance Mike Watkinson. Sussex`s two elder statesmen, Neil Taylor and Bill Athey, stayed together for 23 overs during which they added 44. Taylor`s bat looked as broad as when he top-scored in the first in- nings, though Watkinson and Gary Yates turned the ball at will. Athey fought as if back in a Yorkshire cap and playing a Ros- es match. When he first opened his shoulders, it was only in an effort to disperse the cluster of fieldsmen round the bat. Yates broke the stubborn stand when Taylor attempted a cut and chopped on. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)