FORMER Kent skipper David Fulton came from his sick bed to help former flat-mate and county colleague Matthew Walker bat Kent to safety and a draw against Liverpool Victoria Championship division one leaders Sussex.

On a tinder-dry and relatively lifeless Hove pitch the pair, who boast a combined 30-years’ experience on the St Lawrence staff, came together with home skipper Chris Adams very much whiffing his victory chances.

Having set the visitors a most improbable last day target of 457 from the remaining 88 overs, Sussex had ripped out Kent’s first six batsmen and still had 19 overs in hand.

It was then that Fulton, laid low by a sickness bug overnight and unable to bat in his usual opening berth, walked out at No.8 on a king pair to face a hat-trick ball from Pakistan quick bowler Yasir Arafat.

After surviving that over, Fulton needed a huge slice of luck to see off Yarafat’s next. Still to get off the mark, Fulton pushed hesitantly at a rapid yorker that plucked out off stump just as umpire Richard Kettleborough finished his cry for a no ball.

Soon after Walker twice edged low to the slips to see the half-chances go begging as he batted for just over four hours for his match-saving 70 not out from 220-balls, while Fulton kept him company for 70 minutes for a painstaking, yet equally important two.

With seven overs to go Fulton’s defiant knock ended when he turned one to leg slip to become Rayner’s third victim, but Henderson came in to hit the off-spinner for two fours and two sixes in an over and ease the pressure once and for all.

Kent had started their reply with Niall O’Brien as makeshift opener but, having posted 29 with Rob Key, the Irishman pushed outside a shooting off-cutter to go leg before to James Kirtley.

Soon after lunch Key drove hard but uppishly to give a return catch and a maiden first-class wicket to German-born off-spinner Ollie Rayner then, 10 runs on, Martin van Jaarsveld attempted to flick through the leg side only to spoon a simpler return catch to Luke Wright.

Kent settled down somewhat with a stand of 73 in 17 overs between Walker and Darren Stevens who chanced his arm somewhat in contributing 43 from 44 balls to the partnership.

A miscued clip just cleared mid-off, he top edged a pull just over the ropes for six and twice he drove uppishly between extra cover and mid-off to collect three of his seven boundaries somewhat streakily.

His luck ran out when he misread and played inside a Rayner 'doosra' to lose his off stump and bring debutant Dwayne Bravo to the crease.

The West Indian all-rounder was dropped to the last ball before tea at slip and throttled his natural inclination to play shots for almost an hour thereafter.

No sooner had he opened up to crack his fifth four he wafted airily across the line to go leg before to Arafat and make it 226 for five.

With his next ball the Rawalpindi strike bowler struck James Tredwell flush on the boot with a yorker and umpire Kettleborough confirmed the leg before appeal.

Fulton walked in gingerly to join Walker for 15 overs before his vigil ended, but Walker and Kent’s second debutant Henderson saw the side through to safety at 280 for seven. True enough, Kent needed some luck to survive but, after toiling for four days in stifling heat, maybe they deserved some.

Sussex had baffled their faithful at the start of the day by batting on for an additional six overs to add 25 runs while losing three wickets in the process.

Both their overnight century-makers gave up their wickets to the slog as Matt Prior (108) drove a full-ball from Min Patel to Tredwell at mid-on then Murray Goodwin (122) clipped the same bowler high to Tredwell at long-off to give Patel figures of four for 122.

In between them Luke Wright went leg before after being hit on the back leg by a Stevens leg-cutter leaving Sussex skipper Adams to declare two overs later and set up a fascinating afternoon’s cricket.

SCORECARD

Sussex first innings

R R Montgomerie lbw b Khan 0
C D Hopkinson lbw b Henderson 20
M H Yardy c O’Brien b Khan 134
M W Goodwin st O’Brien b Patel 82
C J Adams lbw b Khan 3
M J Prior c Tredwell b Bravo 15
L J Wright c Key b Patel 0
Yasir Arafat c Stevens b Patel 31
O P Rayner st O’Brien b Tredwell 23
R J Kirtley lbw b Patel 36
J D Lewry not out 17

Extras 38

Total 399 all out after 121.4 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-0, 2-39, 3-180, 4-199, 5-223, 6-224, 7-268, 8-308, 9-377

Bowling: Khan 28-3-75-3, Henderson 20-4-57-1, Bravo 16-1-74-1, Stevens 3-0-14-0, Tredwell 17-1-56-1, Patel 37.4-7-101-4.

Kent first innings

D P Fulton lbw b Lewry 0
R W T Key run out (Montgomerie) 16
M van Jaarsveld b Kirtley 10
M J Walker c Prior b Arafat 87
D I Stevens lbw b Arafat 118
D J Bravo c Kirtley b Arafat 23
J C Tredwell lbw b Arafat 6
N J O’Brien c Wright b Arafat 16
T Henderson c Prior b Lewry 4
M M Patel c Prior b Kirtley 9
A Khan not out 10

Extras 37

Total 336 all out after 102.3 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-0, 2-17, 3-34, 4-222, 5-266, 6-280, 7-292, 8-312, 9-312

Bowling: Lewry 27-8-54-2, Kirtley 18.4-3-72-2, Arafat 29-3-84-5, Wright 12-6-33-0, Rayner 10-1-47-0, Yardy 5-0-16-0, Adams 1-0-2-0.

Sussex second innings

R R Montgomerie st O’Brien b Patel 69
C D Hopkinson c&b Patel 57
M H Yardy lbw b Khan 4
M W Goodwin c Tredwell b Patel 122
M J Prior c Tredwell b Patel 10