Cricket: Amiable Bates lacks Saqlain's bite

Sussex 125 & 59-4; Surrey 364

SAQLAIN MUSHTAQ and Justin Bates both bowl off-breaks and both toiled away from the Pavilion End: there are no other similarities. Bates took 5 for 100 in 36 overs while Saqlain had 7 for 30 in 19.2 overs on Thursday, but, without Bates, Sussex would not have restricted Surrey's lead to 239 even though it will be more than enough for them.

While Saqlain is the best off-spinner in the world, Bates is an amiable exponent of the gentle art who was helped by a turning pitch without being able to take real advantage of it. His control is not good enough and his sting not sharp enough to cause good batsmen more than a passing problem or two.

This may all seem an overstatement of the glaringly obvious and mildly unkind, but it is not often one gets the chance to compare a world champion with a young, enthusiastic and willing learner. The best thing Bates can have done in this match is to have watched every ball Saqlain has bowled and then to have cornered him in the bar for a chat.

If he has learned from Saqlain, Sussex's journey to The Oval will not have been wasted. While Saqlain has been the main difference between the sides, he has not been the only one. Surrey have played like potential champions while Sussex have looked fortunate to have started this round of matches in seventh place, 51 points behind Surrey.

For all that, Sussex have done wonderfully well to regroup as they have this season. For a time, they rose to second place and although a position in mid-table is the best they can hope for, they have this summer established a satisfactory springboard for the future.

The second day's play went according to the script. It began with an array of strokes from Alec Stewart although the prompter missed his cue when Stewart had reached 96 and was lbw trying to work to leg a ball from Mark Robinson which kept low. He did so again later, when Alistair Brown was 94 and drove Bates to short mid-on.

At one point, Surrey were 193 for 6 before Brown and Martin Bicknell added 115 for the sixth wicket and Saqlain showed that he can also bat better than Bates.

Bicknell then took the first two Sussex second innings wickets before Saqlain had the two left-handers, Toby Peirce and Michael Bevan caught at slip and, at 59 for 4, Sussex are still 180 behind.