Sussex v Yorkshire: Road trips offer little hope for struggling Yorkshire

The last fortnight has been a turbulent experience, a test of endurance in more ways than one.

It is a test Yorkshire have failed with flying colours, regardless of whether they emerge with a draw on the last day at Hove.

An odyssey that began in Liverpool two weeks ago cannot end quickly enough for Andrew Gale and his players.

Before that County Championship game against Lancashire, Gale predicted this two-week period would tell Yorkshire whether they would be fighting near the top or bottom of Division One.

Following a six-wicket defeat to their Roses rivals, a 10-wicket defeat to Somerset at Taunton and another disappointing display here on the south-coast, every Yorkshire supporter knows which of those it will be.

Barring a remarkable upsurge of form during the second half of the season, it is a relegation battle – pure and simple.

With every point vital whether scrapping at the right or wrong end of the division, it is clearly important Yorkshire do their best to escape with a share of the spoils against Sussex.

Three points for a draw might not sound much when 24 points are on offer for a win but, in a competition of unpredictable character and fine margins, could be crucial.

It is three points Yorkshire will still hope to collect, despite going into the fourth day on 29-2 in their second innings, 246 runs behind.

A pitch on which Yorkshire failed to claim a single bowling point as Sussex amassed 548-4 declared remains good for batting – provided the requisite temperament and technique are displayed.

That was not always the case yesterday, however, as Yorkshire managed only 273 in their first innings – a disappointing effort on the best day of the three weather-wise as spectators watched in milky sunshine.

Joe Root top-scored with 70, made from 195 balls with seven fours – his third half-century of the season.

The next highest score was Steve Patterson’s 53 – his maiden fifty – as Yorkshire’s lower-order showed the top-order how to play.

Half the visiting side were back in the pavilion for 109 – a statistic that rather speaks for itself.

Patterson and Ajmal Shahzad (32) fought hard to bring a touch of respectability and, more significantly, two batting points, but Yorkshire were made to follow-on after Wayne Parnell spearheaded Sussex’s efforts with 3-60.

Yorkshire started the day on 21-0 and suffered an unsettling blow when Joe Sayers fell to the second ball of the morning.

The left-hander pushed forward to Amjad Khan and was caught low at second slip by Ed Joyce, who replaced Joe Gatting mid-match following his return from international duty with Ireland.

Anthony McGrath dragged on in Amjad’s next over and Yorkshire fell to 33-3 when Gale played on to Wayne Parnell for a duck.

After the loss of 3-11 in 28 balls, Root and Jonny Bairstow hoisted the total to 72 before Bairstow edged a short ball from James Anyon to first slip.

Yorkshire lost their fifth wicket shortly before lunch when Gary Ballance was lbw playing back to Monty Panesar, umpire Richard Kettleborough taking so long to give the decision he made Rudi Koertzen look like Speedy Gonzales.

Root clipped two delightful leg-side boundaries off Amjad in the first over after lunch on his way to a half-century reached from 141 balls with five fours.

The tall right-hander added 55 with Adil Rashid in 23 overs before Rashid shouldered arms to Parnell and was lbw.

Parnell produced a splendid yorker to finally account for Root and, four balls later, had Ryan Sidebottom caught behind off an extravagant cut shot.

But Patterson and Shahzad showed spirited defiance in the final session, adding 75 for the ninth-wicket in 21 overs before Shahzad swept Monty Panesar to deep square-leg.

Earlier, Shahzad lofted Panesar for six over long-on past the new media centre at the Sea End, the ball ricocheting among the banks of wooden seating like a pinball.

It was a mixed day for Panesar, who produced a comical piece of fielding when he practically waved a pull shot from Ballance over the long-leg boundary, like a policeman ushering a motorist through a set of broken traffic lights.

Patterson played admirably for a No 10, driving confidently and nudging singles on both sides of the wicket.

It took a good delivery from Wernars to knock back his off-stump following a 90-ball stay that included 10 fours.

Yorkshire’s second innings began poorly when Sayers was once more caught by Joyce at second slip – this time for a second-ball duck. Root battled through to 20 but was lbw to Chris Nash in the final over, Kettleborough once again taking an eternity over the decision.