Sussex – 150
Yorkshire – 176-7
Seventeen wickets fell on a frantic opening day as Sussex hosted Yorkshire in the County Championship at the 1st Central County Ground in Hove.
After a dominant showing with the ball, Yorkshire found themselves seven down for 176 runs at the close of play, leading Sussex by 26 runs after dismissing them for just 150.
On a disappointing batting card, Joe Root caught the eye for Yorkshire. Coming to the crease with his side in dire straits at 31-2, the former England captain looked every bit the batter who has dominated world cricket for the past decade.
Caressing seven effortless boundaries in his innings, Root claimed a second County Championship fifty of the season to go with two tons, with a late cut in the visitors’ 34th over.
Yet, with the close drawing near, he fell in the most unlikely of fashions, adjudged lbw to ecstatic part-timer Tom Haines. He’d treated the crowd in Hove to 67 elegant runs in his 88 balls at the crease.
Previously, Sean Hunt made his presence felt in an impressive return to the Sussex side. Making his first appearance of the season, Hunt dismissed both Yorkshire openers in a nagging spell – Finley Bean caught by Tom Clark at second slip and Adam Lyth by James Coles at third.
Returning at the close, Hunt snagged the day’s final wicket in a similar fashion. Wicket-keeper Jonathon Tattersall was caught by Coles at third slip for 26 (46).
Coles also caught Pakistan’s Shan Masood, who skippers the side. Despite a silky start, Masood tried one shot too many against test star Ollie Robinson. Although he only took the one wicket, Robinson bowled neatly throughout, claiming one wicket for 20 runs in his 12 overs.
With Yorkshire rebuilding, Fynn Hudson-Prentice snagged a further two wickets to keep his side in the fight. Delivering a searing yorker, the all-rounder had James Wharton adjudged lbw for a dogged 21, after George Hill was caught by Clark at second slip.
After electing to bowl, Yorkshire put on a masterclass in seam bowling, their all-pace attack skittling their sorry hosts in 45 overs. Coles the only bat to keep some pride with an 86-ball 38.
Bowling a talismanic spell, 23-year-old Hill led the way with four wickets for 22 runs from his 10 overs. Entering the attack in the 11th over, Hill found the edges of Tom Haines and Tom Alsop in the space of five deliveries.
The former was caught by Adam Lyth at second slip, the latter by Finley Bean at third. Equally deadly after the lunch break, Hill bowled a water-tight line, dismissing Danny Lamb and Jack Carson in the 39th over.
Eager to get in on the action, fellow seamers Ben Coad, Dominic Leech and Jordan Thomson made the most of conditions, taking the other six Sussex wickets between them.
After a fast start, Coad had opener Tom Clark on his way for a quick-fire 16. Forced on to the backfoot, Clark could only deflect a rising outswinger to Root at slip. Dismantling the middle order, he then trapped skipper John Simpson lbw for six before Hudson-Prentice was caught behind for 14.
Indian maestro Cheteshwar Pujara was also on his way for not very many, falling for 14 after feathering an out-swinging delivery to the grateful gloves of Tattersall keeping wicket.
Well short on runs, Coles and Robinson eyed the boundary. Yet, after a flowing, flicked six, Robinson was soon on his way, caught at second slip by Lyth, before Coles too fell, unable to clear Masood at mid-on. Claiming reward for a threatening spell, Thompson took both wickets to finish the innings with 2 for 40 from his 6.1 overs.
Speaking at stumps, Sean Hunt said: “From the position we were in, we had to come out hard so it was a long fifty overs. But we’ve come out in a decent position.
“We knew at the toss that it would be a good toss to win and bowl first, so we knew it was going to be hard, and even when we were all out, there was still belief that we could get them to the position they’re in now.
“The pitch is going to get better as the game goes on, maybe bring some spin in. So we just have to get the next few wickets as quick as possible, find some runs and get past them.
“I’ve watched Joe Root play for England for years. You understand why he’s one of the best because he made it look like a different pitch out there with the way he played. It’s pretty nice to see but also frustrating because we want to get him out.”
Play resumes at the 1st Central County Ground tomorrow (Saturday 18 May) at 11am.
