Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe is not for sale and will not be sold this summer, the club confirmed with a statement on Monday, but a source has told ESPN FC it was never his intention to push for an exit.

The France international dropped a major bombshell on Sunday night by calling his future with PSG into question after receiving the trophies for best player and young player of the season at the Ligue 1 awards gala.

Mbappe, 20, stated that he wants greater responsibility and suggested that he could get it at another club away from Paris.

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— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) May 20, 2019

Mbappe's comments triggered an avalanche of rumours and allegations over a possible summer departure from Parc des Princes, with many suggesting Real Madrid as the likely destination.

The Spanish giants are huge admirers of the French prodigy and he has always dreamed of one day playing at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, even if some at PSG were surprised by the timing and the nature of Mbappe's comments, nothing has changed for the French champions, with a source telling ESPN FC -- and the club later confirming -- that Mbappe is not for sale and that there is zero chance he will be sold this summer.

"The strong links that have united PSG and Kylian Mbappe for the past two years, as well as their shared history, will continue next season," the PSG statement read. "With a shared ambition to leave their mark on European football, the 50th year of PSG is eagerly anticipated for everyone to write a great page of history together for the club.

"Each major actor will play their part with the emphasis always on the collective."‬

According to the source, Mbappe, Mbappe's father -- who handles his interests -- and, especially, Real Madrid knew he would not be sold this offseason.

Reports have suggested that PSG, should they have opted to sell, could command as much as €300 million for the World Cup winner -- a fee that would end the club's Financial Fair Play worries. Despite that possibility, however, the Parisian club has resolved to keep Mbappe at any cost and instead to find an alternative way to comply with UEFA rules.

The source added that Mbappe's intentions on Sunday were never to push for a move, at least not this summer, but instead to put PSG under pressure. The former Monaco man wants to be more involved and given greater consideration by everyone -- inside and outside of the club. Mbappe wants his voice to count at the club and he wants to be consulted regarding player recruitment -- both in regard to PSG's strategy and their planning.

The source said Mbappe believes that he is the best player in his team, the best player in Ligue 1 and he wants to be regarded in that way. He also wants to play as the central striker from now on, not out wide.

With one game still to play, Mbappe has scored 32 goals and assisted six more from 28 appearances in Ligue 1 this season, and the source added he has a desire to do even more next season.

For that, Mbappe needs to be the team's No. 9, which would put Edinson Cavani's future at the club in doubt.

Requesting greater responsibility also means being more important and having the team play for him -- including his friend Neymar, who also said recently that more people should listen to him at the club.

The source said Mbappe feels that he can carry PSG to the next level, despite his failure to do so in the Champions League round-of-16 second leg against Manchester United. In that game, with Neymar and Cavani out, Mbappe responded with a poor performance against an average United team, showing then that perhaps he was not ready to take over as the team's protagonist.

Chelsea's Christian Pulisic, Schalke's Weston McKennie and RB Leipzig's Tyler Adams join Toronto's Michael Bradley as the headliners on United States coach Gregg Berhalter's 40-man preliminary roster for this summer's Gold Cup, while DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks Jr. have missed out.

CONCACAF released every team's preliminary roster on Monday.

In addition to the big names, Berhalter dug up a few surprises for his list, selecting Derby County midfielder Duane Holmes as well as Tyler Boyd, currently on the books of Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes, who just filed a one-time switch to represent the U.S. after playing a handful of friendlies for New Zealand.

There is also a recall for MSV Duisburg attacker Joe Gyau, whose once-promising career has been devastated by knee injuries. Fulham full-back Marlon Fossey, himself a victim of a knee injury last year, has been called in as well.

Andrew Gutman, currently on loan with the USL's Charlotte Independence after signing with Celtic, was named to the list, as was defender Miles Robinson, who has been outstanding for Atlanta United this season.

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There were a couple of notable omissions, though the biggest were injury-induced. Newcastle United defender Yedlin will miss out after recently undergoing groin surgery, while a knee ailment has rendered Wolfsburg defender Brooks unavailable.

Bobby Wood, who hadn't made the game-day roster in over two months while on loan at Hannover 96, also didn't make the cut.

Berhalter is expected to announce the group that will participate in a pre-Gold Cup training camp on Wednesday.

The final 23-player rosters will be announced by CONCACAF the first week of June. After the official announcement, only injury-related changes will be allowed, up until 24 hours before each team's first match, and any injury replacements must come from the preliminary 40-player roster.

U.S. preliminary roster:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Atlanta United), Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge), Sean Johnson (New York City FC), Tyler Miller (LAFC), Zach Steffen (Columbus Crew),

Defenders: Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig), Reggie Cannon (FC Dallas), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur), Marlon Fossey (Fulham FC), Greg Garza (FC Cincinnati), Omar Gonzalez (Club Atlas), Andrew Gutman (Charlotte Independence), Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Daniel Lovitz (Montreal Impact), Matt Miazga (Chelsea FC), Tim Ream (Fulham FC), Antonee Robinson (Wigan Athletic), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United), Walker Zimmerman (LAFC)

Midfielders: Paul Arriola (DC United), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Tyler Boyd (MKE Aknaragücü), Duane Holmes (Derby County), Jonathan Lewis (Colorado Rapids), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Weston McKennie (Schalke 04), Djordje Mihailovic (Chicago Fire), Darlington Nagbe (Atlanta United), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea FC), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC), Wil Trap (Columbus Crew)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Jonathan Amon (FC Nordsjaelland), Corey Baird (Real Salt Lake), Joe Gyau (MSV Duisburg), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Christian Ramirez (LAFC), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew)

We may never see another player like Chris Wondolowski. Not only is Wondolowski a unique blend of talent, perseverance, humility and guile, he followed a path to an all-time goal-scoring record in Major League Soccer that is practically gone in 2019.

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As teams rush to develop players at younger and younger ages, the possibility of a late bloomer in the Wondolowski mold getting a chance to work on his game for multiple years before finally earning a shot to play and grow into an all-time great is almost difficult to imagine.

On the occasion of Wondolowski's record-breaking performance, it's worth repeating that the San Jose player is one of a kind.

Previous rankings: Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1

1. LAFC (9 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss)

Previous ranking: 1

Next MLS match: Friday, May 24, 10:30 p.m. ET vs. Montreal, ESPN+

It's the old Thursday-Sunday-Friday run for LAFC, who maintain their "best in MLS" status after the Thursday and Saturday legs and four points earned against FC Dallas. Bob Bradley's team was just a little off in front of goal over the two games, but that's admittedly a quibble.

2. Seattle Sounders (7-5-1)

Previous ranking: 2

Next MLS match: Sunday, May 26, 6 p.m. ET at Sporting Kansas City

Wednesday was about winning. Saturday was about not losing. That's the reality for a team crossing the country on short rest to face a quality opponent coming off a week's preparation, so credit Brian Schmetzer and the 63 different players (roughly) he used between the two games.

3. Houston Dynamo (7-2-2)

Previous ranking: 3

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 8 p.m. ET at Minnesota, ESPN+

Good soccer team the Houston Dynamo got a game-winner from Tommy McNamara -- his first goal in two years -- on Saturday to close out a four-point week. Whether good soccer team will be without star attacker Alberth Elis for any length of time, after the Honduran left the D.C. United match early, is a concern.

4. Philadelphia Union (7-3-3)

Previous ranking: 4

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 7:30 p.m. ET vs. Portland, ESPN+

The harsh take is that a true contender should be able to handle a weakened version of a good team at home. The kinder take is that Philly was the better team against Seattle and can take confidence from a goalless draw. Good thing Philly sports fans are known for being reasonable.

5. D.C. United (7-3-4)

Previous ranking: 6

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 7:30 p.m. ET at New England, ESPN+

United somehow managed to survive a Canadian barrage on Wednesday and get a point in Toronto, then collapsed in two minutes on the way to a frustrating loss in Houston on Saturday. It was a "that's so MLS" type of week, with D.C.'s young, rotated team getting the tough result and the first choice side dropping the game in Texas.

6. LA Galaxy (7-1-5)

Previous ranking: 5

Next MLS match: Friday, May 24, 7 p.m. ET at Orlando

No Zlatan Ibrahimovic, no goals and a loss against the worst team in the league. It's hard to see how Sunday could have been any worse for the Galaxy, short of major injury to a crucial player. No Zlatan for the trip to Orlando on Friday either. If LA manages to lose to the Lions, there won't be many good feelings left.

7. New York City FC (4-6-1)

Previous ranking: 7

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 3:30 p.m. ET at Chicago

A week off for the Bronx-dwellers, the kind that can either be a welcome respite from a busy schedule or a brick wall to well-earned momentum.

8. FC Dallas (5-3-5)

Previous ranking: 9

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 7 p.m. ET at Vancouver, ESPN+

Back-to-back matches against LAFC -- one in LA, one in Texas -- revealed FC Dallas to be what we knew them to be: talented, tough but a level below the elite of Major League Soccer. The toughness will be the takeaway, especially considering they played a down a man for most of the second half.

9. Toronto FC (5-2-5)

Previous ranking: 8

Next MLS match: Sunday, May 26, 7:30 p.m. ET vs. San Jose, ESPN+

Zero goals on 45 shots this week from the Reds, who won't want to dwell on the rough results in a pair of games. Alejandro Pozuelo's blistering start in MLS was always going to cool off, but it doesn't appear Toronto was ready to pick up the slack elsewhere. If the defense doesn't get better, Toronto might be in trouble.

10. Montreal Impact (6-3-5)

Previous ranking: 10

Next MLS match: Friday, May 24, 10:30 p.m. at LAFC, ESPN+

Ignacio Piatti is back. After two months out injured, the Argentine returned to the field as a sub in Saturday's draw in New England. No one outside of Carson relies on one player to drive the attack more than the Impact, and he could not have come back at a better time: Friday's trip to LAFC is the toughest match of the year.

11. New York Red Bulls (5-2-5)

Previous ranking: 11

Next MLS match: Wednesday, May 22, 8 p.m. ET vs. Vancouver, ESPN+

No one does emotional, desperation wins like the Red Bulls in 2019. Sunday's 1-0 victory over Atlanta definitely fit that bill, with New York playing the last 55 minutes of the match down a man and the winning goal coming from a player signed from the USL team less than two weeks ago.

12. Atlanta United (6-2-4)

Previous ranking: 12

Next MLS match: Friday, May 24, 9 p.m. ET at Salt Lake

Since we last met, Atlanta squeaked out a win in Vancouver and extended their run without conceding a goal, then saw that streak ended by a 10-man Red Bull team on Sunday. Flat Atlanta -- Flatlanta, if you will -- was back with a (dispiriting) vengeance this week. Over to you, Frank.

13. Minnesota United (5-3-4)

Previous ranking: 13

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 8 p.m. ET vs. Houston, ESPN+

Once upon a time, Ethan Finlay was a red-hot goal-scoring winger for the Columbus Crew. Then the Crew traded him to Minnesota. In early 2018, he tore his ACL and missed the rest of the season. On Saturday, Finlay scored for the first time since coming back from that injury to lead the Loons to a win against the Crew. The end.

14. Real Salt Lake (5-1-6)

Previous ranking: 15

Next MLS match: Friday, May 24, 9 p.m. ET vs. Atlanta

We're officially filing a request with Major League Soccer and Real Salt Lake for Sebastian "Bofo" Saucedo to score more long-range blasts because it's so much fun to yell "BOFO!" It might not be the best nickname in MLS -- there's a guy called "Cobra" in Dallas -- but it's close.

15. Columbus Crew (5-1-8)

Previous ranking: 14

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 9 p.m. ET at Colorado, ESPN+

Not only did the Crew slip below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference this weekend, they're slipping quickly into the "bad" part of the power rankings. Losing seven of your last eight will do that sort of damage to your standing, but it's the lack of goals (six in those eight matches) that should set off alarms.

16. Portland Timbers (3-2-6)

Previous ranking: 17

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 7:30 p.m. ET at Philadelphia, ESPN+

One more road match until the grand reopening of Providence Park, Timbers fans. May your dreams be filled with visions of Sebastian Blanco setting up Brian Fernandez for goals in the Timbers Army end from now until June 1. Here's a tip: Imagine Fernandez's equalizer against Houston, only in Portland.

17. Orlando City (4-3-6)

Previous ranking: 19

Next MLS match: Friday, May 24, 7 p.m. ET vs. LA Galaxy

Nani is OK, Tesho Akindele's feeling fine and the Lions head into a showdown with the Zlatan-less Galaxy next Friday bursting with confidence following a big win. Orlando fought FC Cincinnati, the heat and the quick turnaround after a midweek trip to Seattle and won -- that's worth a some dap.

18. Vancouver Whitecaps (3-4-6)

Previous ranking: 16

Next MLS match: Wednesday, May 22, 8 p.m. ET at RBNY, ESPN+

The Caps are spirited, which is just a nice way to say they're mostly mediocre with an occasional burst of hard-won success. Wednesday's match against Atlanta at BC Place was mediocre, hence a goalless performance and a loss. Saturday's draw in Kansas City was ... spirited.

19. San Jose Earthquakes (4-2-6)

Previous ranking: 20

Next MLS match: Sunday, May 26, 7:30 p.m. ET at Toronto, ESPN+

Wondo did it in Wondo style, popping up at the back post, taking advantage of defensive mistakes and calmly finishing first-time chances. He'll tell you that the win was what mattered -- he celebrated with his teammates on all four goals -- but Saturday was Wondo's day. He earned every bit of it.

20. Chicago Fire (4-4-5)

Previous ranking: 18

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 25, 3:30 p.m. ET vs. NYCFC

The Fire's lamentable performance in San Jose will mercifully get buried by the story of Wondolowski's ascension to the top of the all-time MLS goal-scoring list. It's like being the bar during a world-record high jump: essential to the proceedings but nothing more than a prop.

You win five of six domestic trophies. You gain 198 of a possible 228 points. You triumph both when you have a 15-point lead in December and when you have a Liverpool team breathing down your neck until the very last game.

Yeah, you get to legitimately ask: are Man City the greatest team in the Premier League era? The answer is yes. As for their lack of Champions League success, it's not an asterisk against their domestic record. It's simply another target in the cross hairs, armed with the realisation that in a knockout competition, anything can happen, including going out on the away goals rule.

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Two of the four English sides that became European champions in the Premier League era, Liverpool in 2005 and Chelsea in 2012, finished fifth and sixth respectively that season. Manchester United, winners of the "Big Treble" in 1999 did win the league, except they did it with 79 points. The 2008 version also won the league and finished with 87; this City team reached that total with four matches to spare.

But there are results and then, aesthetics. And this City team marries the two like few others in recent history. You know the points total; how about the fact that over the past two years, City have lost the xG (expected goals) battle on just five occasions, and in two of them, it was by less than 0.05 xG?

Sure, this team has been built at vast expense, but what strikes you most is the type of spending, the progress made after joining and the fact that, to some degree, everyone is replaceable. How many of the current team were bought as ready-made superstars?

You can make a case for Sergio Aguero, although that was back in 2011. Kevin de Bruyne? Sure. And that's probably it. In fact, the degree to which they blossomed at the club is, frankly, remarkable.

David Silva came from Valencia as a 24-year-old, a guy seen as a "nice" player but a provincial one. Raheem Sterling arrived as a promising youngster, with conventional wisdom depicting him as a guy who was all flash and no substance. Fernandinho was playing in the Ukraine until he was 28 (and didn't win his first cap until he was 27).

Aymeric Laporte was a hugely hyped youngster who was passed over by bigger clubs until he was 23 and still has yet to win his first cap for France. Kyle Walker was 27, and while he was briefly the most expensive defender in history, he came from Tottenham where he only became a regular at 21. Ederson had one top-flight season under his belt at Benfica (and one national team cap).

Bernardo Silva? Another "nice player," not someone hailed as the second coming. Ilkay Gundogan? A superb talent who once had scouts salivating, but who didn't look the same after his injury. Leroy Sane? Super tools, but he was 20 when he arrived and had one season as a regular at Schalke. And what of Oleksandr Zinchenko? He lands at City as a teenage attacking midfielder from a Ukrainian team nobody has heard of (Ufa, since you ask) and two years later he's the starting left-back during the stretch run to the title.

It's not just that most of these guys have improved since joining City. Rather, it's that apart from Aguero, De Bruyne and, possibly, Riyad Mahrez, none of them have much of a backstory before arriving at the Eithad. This is the first global success the vast majority of them have known. They don't feel like a Panini sticker team or a gaggle of hired guns; they feel like guys who have been on a journey and are giddy with excitement to be where they are.

And no, since you can't talk about Guardiola without mentioning his previous stops on the road, this is a very different situation. Bayern had won the Champions League prior to his arrival, he found himself coaching World Cup winners after a year. Barcelona had won the Champions League a few years earlier, and, there too, he was in charge of World Cup winners (as well as a guy named Lionel Messi). Most of his Man City squad had won nothing prior to joining the club, and even the current team features just four guys -- Aguero, David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Fernandinho -- who were around for the Premier League title in 2013-14.

There's a team ethos there that's hugely evident. Everybody is on message all the time, whether they get on the pitch or not. And sure, it's easy to be good little soldiers when things are going well, but the fact is there have been bumps on the road too. Like in his first campaign, when they spent much of the season in fourth place. Or, indeed, when they got bounced out of the Champions League. That was the time for dressing room whispers, recrimination and even questioning his personnel choices. Instead we got nothing. That's down to a manager with the charisma and personality to keep players on board, as well as a group players who put the collective first.

That brings us to the issue of who is "indispensable." Conventional wisdom was that Fernandinho could not be replaced. Well, he gets injured, Gundogan comes into a deeper role and City don't look back. De Bruyne was the club's most valuable player a year ago: we know how things went this season. John Stones was supposed to be the bedrock of the defence and when his performances dipped, in came somebody else, whether Nicolas Otamendi or Vincent Kompany. And let's not even get started on the rotating cast of left-backs ...

On the pitch and the training ground, City are beauty and functionality rolled into one, as well as the greatest team of the Premier League era. That they've been built differently from other top teams makes it all the more remarkable.

Gloucestershire 120 for 5 (Bracey 35, Salisbury 3-18) trail Durham 158 (Burnham 43, Raine 42, Payne 4-40) by 38 runs

Gloucestershire head into day two of their County Championship match against Durham just 38 runs behind the hosts after 15 wickets fell on day one at Chester-Le-Street.

David Payne was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 for 40 as Durham were dismissed for just 158 in two sessions - Matt Taylor, Ryan Higgins and Josh Shaw taking two wickets apiece. Jack Burnham scored 43 and Ben Raine 42 in the only noteworthy impacts with the bat for Durham.

Durham restricted Gloucestershire to 120 for 5 at the close of play, Matt Salisbury taking 3 for 18 with James Bracey the top scorer for the visitors so far with 35.

In an opening spell of 8-3-11-3, Payne dismissed Durham captain Cameron Bancroft, Alex Lees and Gareth Harte in quick succession, after Ryan Higgins had trapped Ryan Pringle - making his first Championship appearance since 2017 - lbw for nine as Durham collapsed to 17 for 4.

Liam Trevaskis and Jack Burnham began re-building the Durham innings before the former lofted a simple catch to Higgins at cover off the bowling of Matt Taylor at 31 for 5. Burnham and Ned Eckersely steadied things ahead of the lunch interval.

Burnham and Eckersley resumed on 54 for 5 after lunch, but the latter fell soon after the interval as he misjudged a delivery by Ryan Higgins and was out lbw for 12.

Burnham and Ben Raine picked up the scoring rate as the hosts passed 100. A partnership of 46 came to an end when Burnham edged Matt Taylor behind for 43. Brydon Carse came and went for a golden duck, tickling a Josh Shaw ball to Bracey with the score at 109 for 8.

Raine picked up the scoring rate in tandem with Matt Salisbury, finally falling to Shaw for 42 - caught behind by Bracey. Salisbury advanced the score on to 158 before he was bowled by the returning Payne, who improved his figures to 4 for 40 from 19.4 overs.

Chris Dent and Miles Hammond opened for Gloucestershire with a very watchful stand of 27, Hammond dropped by Pringle off the bowling of Ben Raine when on nine. He added just four more before Carse produced an in-swinging yorker to the left-handed Hammond - catching the back pad in front of leg stump.

The introduction of Salisbury from the Finchale End proved fruitful as he produced a wonderful eight-over spell which saw the dismissals of Dent, Hankins and Roderick seaming and swinging the ball in both directions as Durham clawed themselves back into proceedings.

But a partnership of 35 between Bracey and Benny Howell wrestled the initiative back for the visitors before the returning Chris Rushworth dismissed the former, caught behind by Eckersley for 35 - the score 102/5.

Howell and night-watchmen Shaw dutifully saw out the remaining overs to leave the visitors well placed with Howell not out 27 and Shaw on eight.

Sussex 370 for 6 (Jordan 158*, Brown 153*) v Northamptonshire

If Chris Jordan was feeling frustrated at watching his slim chance of making the cut for England's World Cup squad disappear before his eyes over the past two weeks, then there are not many better ways in which he could have got it out of his system.

His career-best unbeaten 158, the third century of his career, was an essay in controlled aggression, occasionally risky but never irresponsibly so, and with no leaping around punching the air as he ran the single that took him to his century or after the magnificent straight drive that took him past 150 in the midst of a wonderful record-breaking partnership with Ben Brown, who finished 10 short of his career-best on 153 not out.

Yet you sensed he must have been feeling a particular kind of satisfaction at that moment, one borne of being selected for the one-day series against Pakistan that ended on Sunday - a chance, he must have thought, to make a late claim for a World Cup place - only to play no part, beyond being a substitute fielder.

His response here, then, was hugely impressive, not least to his teammates, who watched with growing appreciation as he and his captain repaired the damage of a dreadful morning that had seen them lurch from 20 without loss to 68 for 6.

"It can be a little bit frustrating to be with England like that and not get a game," Jordan said afterwards.

"But I tend to take the positives from a situation and the fact of the matter is that I had not been called up to that 50-over squad for three years so it means I am getting close again. Unfortunately I was not able to get a go but the boys are in great shape for the World Cup and it is good to be playing cricket again with Sussex."

Going out to bat at 68 for 6, Jordan said, was "not ideal". Brown will certainly have concurred. During that torrid passage, he must have wondered what he was thinking when he looked at a green-tinged pitch before play and decided he wanted to bat. More so when the toss went against him and his opposite number said he was happy for him to do so.

Alex Wakely was clearly spot-on about the conditions favouring his bowlers, the ball moving in the air and some nipping away off the pitch too. Moreover, several Sussex batsmen played some pretty woeful shots, as if disoriented to be batting.

Ben Sanderson inflicted the first blows, taking three for none in 10 deliveries as Phil Salt lost his off stump, Tom Haines skewed one to point off a leading edge and Stiann Van Zyl drove loosely to mid-off.

Luke Wells got a good one from Luke Procter that zipped away and took the edge, Adam Rossington taking a tumbling catch in front of slip, but Harry Finch did not offer a shot to the ball from Nathan Buck that literally broke his middle stump and David Wiese, who had been in excellent form in 50-over cricket, was bowled by a fullish delivery from Jamie Overton, the Somerset bowler who is here on loan, without scoring.

Jordan, in fact, was a little fortunate not to go the same way, the ball flying between 'keeper and first slip as he tried to jam the bat down on another Overton delivery that was well pitched up.

From a Sussex viewpoint, it was the last scare before lunch. Nonetheless, 77 for 6 was a test for their digestion. No one could have imagined 370 for 6 at the close, yet from thereon in, Jordan and Brown reigned supreme.

That is not to say that nothing troubled them. There was still something in the pitch, clearly, and neither batsman was immune from playing and missing. Yet Jordan, in particular, looked confident, punching boundaries both sides of the wicket and driving forcefully if Northamptonshire's bowlers strayed in length or line, and the presence at the other end of a batsman with a very different style was certainly a factor in making that happen quite regularly.

"We have batted together a few times and we tried to rotate the strike," Jordan said. "We hit the ball in different areas and that makes it difficult for bowlers to settle on one length or one line."

Brown hit 20 boundaries, Jordan 24, the most thrilling of which came towards the close as he drove Procter straight down the ground three times in the same over, the third of them taking him past 150.

"We did not get that many balls to hit down the ground so it felt good at the time and I'm grateful to get a personal best," he added.

The partnership is the highest conceded by any Northamptonshire side for the fifth wicket and the second-highest scored by a Sussex partnership, the highest being 344 by K S Ranjitsinhji and Billy Newham against Essex at Leyton in 1902, which was the highest by any side in the County Championship until Jonny Bairstow and Tim Bresnan put on 366 for Yorkshire against Durham at Chester-le-Street in 2015.

That mark could yet be under threat.