Yorkshire did not make a breakthrough until Sussex openers Richard Montgomerie and Murray Goodwin had put on 85 on the second day of the Championship match at Arundel today.

Goodwin then fell to Craig White but Montgomerie went on to complete his half-century and with only 27 overs gone Sussex were 106-1.

Sussex began the day on 23-0 in reply to Yorkshire's 255 and although Ryan Sidebottom and Chris Elstub kept the batsmen tied down it was not expected to be too long before the spinners took over.

Only seven runs came off the first six overs before Goodwin, on 14, survived a confident shout for lbw by Sidebottom, but in the next over from Elstub the same batsman drove handsomely through the covers. Elstub was then cut for four by Montgomerie as Sussex moved on.

The first bowling change on came at 46 with White taking over from Sidebottom, whose five overs had cost nine runs, but Montgomerie soon worked him through mid-wicket to raise the 50 and he on-drove the next ball for two.

Elstub continued for a while and Montgomerie twice straight drove him to the boundary, Yorkshire now being in urgent need of a wicket. It did not come until the openers had ploughed on to 85 when Goodwin shuffled across his stumps and was lbw for 35.

His departure brought in Sussex skipper Chris Adams who was quickly off the mark with two cover boundaries against Sidebottom before White was twice struck to the fence by Montgomerie, who, from the first shot, reached his 50 off 84 balls.

Sussex hurried into three figures and with the batsmen now threatening to cut loose the situation looked bleak for Yorkshire.

Yorkshire were in danger of a complete rout yesterday when they dipped to 41-4 against the new ball but they hit back with a stand of 96 in 26 overs between skipper Darren Lehmann and Vic Craven who played one of his most fluent Championship innings so far.

Craven was then bowled by former Yorkshire paceman, Mark Robinson, for 37, but Lehmann went on to make 71 off 115 deliveries with ten boundaries before glancing too finely at Kevin Innes to be caught behind. Yorkshire were in trouble again at 183 for seven but they were rallied this time by Dawson (33) and Gray (40) who carefully compiled 72 in 33 overs.

The appearance of the second new ball at 255, brought an abrupt halt to the fightback, the last three wickets going down in ten balls without addition.

It was a satisfying day for Robinson. Brought out of first team retirement, he finished with 3-57 off 20 overs.

Updated: 15:58 Thursday, June 27, 2002