Warwickshire on course for win over Sussex to put them in title hunt

Murray Goodwin provided the best resistance for Sussex with 94, but his side face an uphill task to salvage anything from the match. Photograph: Gareth Copley/PA

For more than an hour Warwickshire supporters not actually at Edgbaston fulminated as their side did not enforce the follow-on after bowling Sussex out for 259, 262 behind their own score.

Those following on the internet were erroneously told that Warwickshire, most conservatively, had decided to bat again. In this parallel universe William Porterfield was making hay at the crease, not another Irishman, Ed Joyce, which was actually the case. And, it seemed, Michael Yardy was having his first bowl of the season.

Fans tweeted their displeasure. Others made incredulous phone calls. And then, slowly, the truth of the match seeped through. Warwickshire did make the correct decision and Sussex, in their second innings, were 71 for two, still 191 behind, when the players came off for bad light with 13 overs to bowl.

Warwickshire should win from here and if they do it will be their fifth victory in six matches. The championship, it seems, is within their grasp and they have a more than decent run-in against some of the weaker sides.

Certainly their supporters will have followed Durham's woes at Taunton with more than usual interest, while the remarkable Roses match at Headingley will not have gone unnoticed either. Lancashire are Warwickshire's next opponents – they play at Liverpool on 1 August – and it will be an important game.

Sussex resumed on Friday morning on 103 for 3, in need of a good telescope to view their target of 372 to avoid the follow-on. In the third over James Anyon, the nightwatchman, was caught by Laurie Evans, diving at cover. Three overs later Yardy fluffed his attempted pull and was caught and bowled by Rikki Clarke for two.

Warwickshire broke through again at 143, when Jeetan Patel, who had set a most attacking field, knocked back Andrew Hodd's off-stump with the batsman playing no stroke.

Yardy's reintroduction to the game while fighting his problems with depression is not proving easy. This is his fourth championship match of the season and in four knocks he has scored 41, with a best of 22. And he has not bowled.

The best resistance came from Murray Goodwin (94) and William Adkin, who batted for more than two hours for his unbeaten 29. But then Sussex lost their last three wickets for 22 runs in nine overs and, when they batted again, Chris Nash and Luke Wells fell cheaply.

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