fell on the first day. Sussex were all out by lunchtime and Robertson made 99 out of 189 – the only batsman to cope with the green wicket. Sussex were 0-0 at close of play. In 1959 Jim Parks was out to the first ball on Whit Monday and Les Lenham damaged ankle ligaments when he tripped over the boundary board in front of the Warner Stand and had to be carried off. The 1960 match was absorbing until Sussex decided not to go for the runs on the last afternoon. At all these matches I remember large crowds all round the ground.” People now came to Hove to watch the batting of Dexter and Parks just as they came to the same ground in the high summers of Ranji and Fry. The Bank Holiday masses saw Dexter, now captaining Sussex, at his lordly best. At Lord’s in 1960 he responded to a Parfitt hundred with 105 and an unbeaten 78, 15,000 seeing him become the first batsman to complete 1,000 runs for the season. At Hove he made 157 in the first innings during which he drove with power and grace. Middlesex, set 329 in five hours, were 121 for six when a storm held up play. This was a crucial match, with Middlesex third in the table and Sussex fourth. Play resumed with an hour remaining and Dexter, who had taken three wickets for a single before the stoppage, got two more with consecutive balls at the same score. It was time for the dead bat and 82 deliveries were sent down without a run being scored before Ron Hooker pushed Thomson to cover for a single. Dexter then had Warr brilliantly caught by Ron Bell at backward short leg and Sussex had won by 202 runs with 13 minutes to spare, leapfrogging their rivals into third place. In the final reckoning Yorkshire were champions, followed by Lancashire, Middlesex and Sussex. Not everybody was happy, however. At Hove in 1963 Russell spent four hours 20 minutes in making 105, four spectators demanding and receiving the return of their admission fee. The following year, 1964, was the last occasion the August Bank Holiday took place on the first Monday in the month. Umpire Ron Aspinall no-balled the Middlesex seamer Pat Lawrence twice for throwing at Whitsuntide before the August game provided another thriller. Sussex were set a target of 261 in just over three hours but nine wickets were down for 208 before Mike Griffith and Bell played out the final 25 minutes. Middlesex v Sussex 137