New ball duo Matthew Fisher and Ben Coad helped Yorkshire make the most of only 42 overs of play on a rainy day one at Headingley by restricting promotion-chasing Sussex to 120-6.
Sussex, third in Division Two with a win and eight draws, are one of only two unbeaten sides in either division of the LV= Insurance County Championship this season. Glamorgan are the other.
But they were put under intense early pressure after surprisingly electing to bat first under a cloudy sky and on a green-tinged pitch.
Seamers Fisher and Coad shone with four for 53 from 13 overs and two for 10 from 12 respectively on a day that included a pair of rain delays lasting more than two hours each.
After electing to bat, Sussex captain Tom Alsop top-scored with 35 while 54 overs were not bowled.
One of Yorkshire’s major issues over the past season-and-a-half of four-day cricket – they were relegated last September – has been the lack of matches played by Coad and Fisher. With both fit and firing, the county look a completely different proposition.
Yorkshire have only won twice since the start of 2022 and this is only Coad’s 11th Championship appearance and only Fisher’s ninth in that time.
They have only played together on six occasions in that period but complement each other superbly.
While Coad is not blessed with the pace that Fisher has, he will find any ounce of help off the pitch or through the air to terrorise batters. And that’s exactly what they did.
The opening partnership of Tom Clark and Tom Haines was swiftly removed as Sussex slipped to 18-3 inside six overs, including Fisher’s wickets with successive deliveries.
Coad made the initial breakthrough, with Clark caught at second slip by Adam Lyth, leaving the score at 6-1 in the third over.
Fisher then had Haines, the other left-handed opener, caught behind by Jonny Tattersall before bowling James Coles first ball. He played expansively at an in-ducker, leaving the visitors 18-3 in the sixth over.
A two-and-a-quarter-hour rain delay, including lunch, then came from 11.55am before Coad and Fisher struck once more apiece. The rain returned at 3.20pm, resulting in a two-and-a-half-hour break.
Coad forced Oli Carter to inside-edge a drive on to his stumps before Danial Ibrahim feathered a forward defensive shot against Fisher behind as the score fell to 57-5 in the 25th over.
Sussex captain Alsop batted with a decent slice of fortune in his 96-ball 35, which came to an end late in the day when he edged Fisher shoulder high to Ryan Rickelton at third slip – 76-6 in the 33rd over.
The first five of the left-hander’s six boundaries were scored behind the wicket, including his first which was inside-edged just past his off-stump off Fisher.
Sussex were at least boosted late in the day by Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Australian seamer Nathan McAndrew, who shared an unbroken 44 for the seventh wicket.
Hudson-Prentice looked the most assured Sussex batter on show with 29 not out and McAndrew was strong on the pull and cut in hitting six boundaries in an unbeaten 25.
Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace said: “It was an interesting day from the point of the view that we were convinced it was the right thing to do to bat.
“We knew it would be tough to start with – and the first four wickets I’m not sure they were genuinely got out. They were four disappointing dismissals.
“I do think Yorkshire bowled really well. They bowled a lot of balls in the right place but the top four will be disappointed with their dismissals I reckon.
“It was interesting at the end to see Hudson-Prentice and McAndrew play reasonably positively and make it look a little bit easier.
“It would have been nice to see us be a bit more proactive at the top of the order. But we’re an inexperienced side gaining experience with every innings that we play.
“We’re also up against a very good bowling attack. Yorkshire will say they’re in a good position. They will be happy with their day’s work.
“If we can get a score north of 200, we think we’ll have a decent score on the board on that pitch.
“It wasn’t necessarily that we feel it’s a good pitch to bat on first. It’s more that we don’t feel it will get any better as the game unfolds. The more runs you can get at the start, the better.”
