Luke Wells justified his recall with his second hundred of the season to give Sussex a chance of forcing victory over Surrey at Horsham.
The 21-year-old left-hander, whose father Alan captained the county and scored more than 30,000 runs, made 127 - his second hundred of the season against Surrey - to lead a tremendous lower-order fightback by his side in the Division One clash.
From 87 for six they rallied to 351 all out and when Surrey went in again trailing by 227 they lost opener Jason Roy before reaching stumps on 39 for one.
Wells and Naved Arif had to survive a testing first hour from Stuart Meaker, who had taken three wickets in three overs on the second day, and Murali Kartik but they prospered to put on 85 for the seventh wicket before Arif was caught at slip off Kartik's left-arm spin in the last over before lunch.
Wells had a reprieve on 88 when he was dropped by Gareth Batty at slip shortly after Batty had taken evasive action when a boundary board came hurtling towards him in the 50mph winds.
He settled down to complete the fifth hundred of his career, and second of the season against Surrey. Strong off the front foot, piercing cover and extra-cover drives brought him the majority of his 15 boundaries and it was a surprise when he was ninth out, having batted for just under six hours and faced 277 balls, when wicketkeeper Steve Davies held an edge at the second attempt to give Kartik his fourth wicket.
He received excellent support from the lower order, sharing a stand of 64 for the eighth wicket with Steve Magoffin who was eventually held at mid-wicket off Jon Lewis.
Even after Wells departed Sussex continued to prosper. James Anyon made a career-best 64 not out, with five fours and two sixes, and even Monty Panesar enjoyed himself as he made 31, lofting Kartik over long on for a six which even the bowler applauded, as the last-wicket pair put on 80 in 15 overs.
It left Surrey with 14 overs to negotiate before stumps and after Roy and Davies had taken the score to 38 with few alarms Roy, who had made 35, fell in the penultimate cover, giving a tame catch to Luke Wright at cover after it appeared he had lost sight of a bouncer from Magoffin.
