A sublime century from Cheteshwar Pujara kept Sussex in the fight on day two of their County Championship fixture against Durham.
After a flurry of early wickets at the 1st Central County Ground, Sussex found themselves floundering at 91 for four.
Pujara led the fightback. Fresh off his 100th test match, the Indian maestro plugged away, finding the gaps and knocking singles. He soon reached fifty.
Durham’s off-spinner Matt Kuhnemann made his Test debut in Pujara’s milestone match and almost had the Sussex captain in the 44th over, Matthew Potts dropping a tough chance at slip.
At the other end, Oli Carter took a liking to the Australian, sweeping and dancing down the track with elegance.
Pujara preferred the seamers, medium pacer Jonathan Bushnell in particular, and he nonchalantly ramped for six off the final ball before tea.
The pair found the fence with regularity as they reached a hundred partnership off 182 balls. Durham’s experienced seam attack struggled.
Soon after tea, Pujara further upped the ante, claiming his century with three fours off a loose Brydon Carse over. The milestone was reached off 133 balls.
A majestic innings, fitting of a player who averages over one hundred for Sussex in first class cricket, Pujara finally fell for 115, lbw to Ben Raine in the evening session.
Earlier in the day, all-rounder Nathan McAndrew claimed a five-for in his first Sussex appearance. The Aussie found the edges of both Raine and Potts as Sussex quickly vanquished their visitors’ tail. Jack Carson snatched the other wicket.
McAndrew, who was the pick of Sussex’s bowlers on day one, finished with figures of 5 for 85. Durham were bowled out for 376, adding only 24 runs to their overnight score.
In reply, the Sussex openers made steady progress. The pair went at a gentle rate until the eighth over, when, in an eventful few deliveries, Ali Orr hit two massive sixes and was caught off a no-ball.
Sadly for Sussex, his luck would dry up soon after. Departing for a speedy 29, Orr was run out at the non-striker’s end, Durham seamer Ben Raine deflecting a Tom Haines drive on to his partners stumps.
Haines himself fell only three balls later, edging the fired up Raine behind for 11.
Wickets continued to tumble in the afternoon session as Durham left a dent in the Sussex middle order. Matthew Potts and Jonathan Bushnell bowled Tom Alsop and Tom Clark respectively, each chopping on to good length deliveries.
Then came the century stand between Pujara and Carter. A period of dominance which took the home side from 91 for four to 205 for five before Matt Kuhnemann had Carter stumped for 41.
In at seven, George Garton made a handy 28 off 35 balls before he too fell to Kuhnemann, slog sweeping the spinner to Graham Clark on the boundary.
When Pujara was removed in the 67th over, Sussex were in serious trouble.
Yet, a fighting fifty partnership between Jack Carson and Nathan McAndrew took the home side past 300, before Carse bowled Carson for 29, and Sean Hunt came and went for 5.
After a few forceful shots, McAndrew remains 36 not out overnight, continuing his excellent debut.
At stumps on day two, Sussex are 332 for 9, trailing the visitors by 44 runs.
Durham remain ahead – but not by much.
