There are two Andrew Flintoffs at the moment: Flintoff the bowler, rock solid in temperament and technique and consistent in form, and Flintoff the batsman, bereft of confidence and short of runs. Before yesterday's play, Flintoff the batsman had averaged a shade more than five in the LV County Championship for Lancashire this year. Well, he beat that, but only by one, drilling his fifteenth ball straight to mid-wicket. He departed with a pained expression, knowing that his slim chance of a recall to the England team on Thursday had gone.

After four ducks this year, three of them first ball, Flintoff wanted to put bat to ball and hit his way out of the doldrums. He smashed his second ball down the ground for four and it was attempting a repeat that brought his downfall. This was an opportunity missed, for the pitch was blameless, the bowling modest and even Gary Keedy, the doughty Lancashire nightwatchman, had managed three hours at the crease.

The significance of Flintoff's failure lies principally in the short term and the reluctance now, presumably, of England's selectors to rush him back. But this is a good thing, giving him a chance to find some batting form out of the limelight. The longer-term prognosis is sound.

For time at the crease is all he needs. Good batsmen - and Flintoff is still a good batsman - do not lose their talent overnight. Confidence ebbs and flows, especially for someone such as Flintoff, who is a “form” player. His method does not allow him, at will, to flick form on and off like a switch, but the talent remains and he will find it again. He will not find it in the nets, where he went after his dismissal, but nor will he find it moping around the dressing-room.

Instead of the ultra-aggressive approach, Flintoff might have watched Stuart Law closely, for Law showed that the best way to score runs on a pitch that, slow on the first day, had gone into reverse on the second was by application and patience. A four-hour century - his 79th in first-class cricket, but his first this year - is slow by Law's standards, but it was none the worse for that. He finished the day unbeaten on 156, with Lancashire's lead 129.

Approaching his 40th birthday, Law produced the classiest batting of the match. He has always been a languid player and easy on the eye, but he also showed his professionalism. If there was a hangover from the Twenty20 competition evident in Sussex's carefree approach, Law gave them a lesson in concentration and shot selection.

He also played Mushtaq Ahmed superbly, picking him flawlessly out of the hand, playing him late off the pitch and manoeuvring the field at will. Mushtaq looked a long way from full fitness, limping to the crease and unable to get any snap in his action.

There were only two peccadilloes in Law's innings: one sharp chance spurned by Chris Adams at second slip in the second over of the day and one much easier drop at mid-on shortly after he had reached three figures, Jason Lewry the culprit. It was a democratic day, then, at Hove, the rule of Law dominant.

Sussex: First Innings 253 (R S C Martin-Jenkins 70; S I Mahmood 5 for 76)

Lancashire: First Innings (overnight 67-4)

*S G Law not out 156

G Keedy c Yardy b Mushtaq 64

S J Croft b Rayner 2

A Flintoff c sub b Rayner 6

†L D Sutton lbw b Mushtaq 36

G Chapple not out 26

Extras (b 17, lb 4, nb 16) 37

Total (8 wkts, 124 overs) 382

S I Mahmood to bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-36, 3-57, 4-57, 5-217, 6-220, 7-232, 8-321.

Bowling: Lewry 24-4-93-2; Collymore 24-5-82-1; Martin-Jenkins 17-10-27-1; Mushtaq 31-6-99-2; Rayner 25-4-55-2; Yardy 3-1-5-0.

Umpires: R T Robinson and G Sharp.