Tom Alsop scored his first Sussex hundred and shared a stand of 204 with Ali Orr, who made 99, as Sussex enjoyed the better of day one against Middlesex in the LV= County Championship match at Hove.
Their second-wicket alliance helped the hosts reach 246 for two but then Middlesex took three wickets in seven overs after tea, including the in-form Cheteshwar Pujara for 16, to leave Sussex 273 for five.
Mohammad Rizwan and George Garton counter-attacked impressively against the second new ball, and although Rizwan fell for 31 Sussex reached stumps on 354 for six, having won the toss.
Alsop, who is on a season-long loan from Hampshire, played superbly for the fifth hundred of his career and first since April 2021.
He and Orr responded well after Shaheen Shah Afridi had bowled Tom Haines with a beauty which tailed in to knock back the left-hander’s off stump in the ninth over.
Alsop reached his hundred with arguably the pick of his 12 boundaries, a straight drive down the ground off Afridi. He was the more aggressive of the two and seemed in the mood to build a long innings when he frustratingly clipped a ball down the leg side from off-spinner Mark Stoneman to square leg for 113.
It was harder work for Orr, who was dropped on nought and then twice in the same over on 57 and 58. The 21-year-old knuckled down and seemed certain to lodge what would have been only his second first-class hundred when he was drawn into a drive at leg spinner Luke Hollman and was caught at slip in the last over before tea.
That wicket re-energised the Middlesex attack and they had further cause for celebration when they removed Pujara, who came into the game with an aggregate of 531 runs in his first five innings for Sussex.
The Indian looked in the mood again, driving his first two balls from Hollman to the boundary before slog-sweeping him for six. It was little wonder that he shook his head in frustration after driving loosely to backward point off Ethan Bamber.
Martin Andersson chipped in with the wicket of Tom Clark, who was shaping up well until he dragged the ball on to his off stump, and when Alsop’s four-hour stay ended Sussex were 273 for five and the new ball was six overs away.
But Garton, playing his first game of the season having recovered from long covid, and Rizwan ticked along at four an over before Blake Cullen broke through when Rizwan was held head-high at slip by skipper Peter Handscomb playing a forcing shot off the back foot. Garton was unbeaten on 37 at the close.
…
Tom Alsop, who made 113 for Sussex, said: “It feels brilliant. Since I came to the club everyone has been overwhelmingly welcoming and positive so it’s just nice to give back today. I’ve been playing nicely but it hasn’t gone my way in terms of runs so it was important once I got in today to capitalise and get some runs.
“Ali Orr played beautifully and it’s a shame he got out on 99. He’s a great character and he plays such an important role in the team, even when he’s not scoring runs. I’m sure he will get over the line many more times in his career. Overall, we’re in a positive position in the game. Hopefully we can get more runs tomorrow then our bowlers will have their tails up and can make inroads.”
…
Middlesex seamer Ethan Bamber said: “We had to stick at it. It’s a wicket where you have to be patient because after the new ball there wasn’t a massive amount of lateral movement and if you search and strive for wickets you can actually leak runs.
“Sussex batted nicely but I’d say honours were fairly even. If we can get one wicket in the morning we’re confident we can get all four quickly.
“It’s phenomenal to have the quality of overseas players in Division Two this season. It makes this division so much more competitive and it’s a privilege that we can challenge ourselves against some very good players.”
