Sussex 150 and 227
Yorkshire 195 and 161
Sussex won by 21 runs
Sussex, inspired by Ollie Robinson, continued their fine start to the Second Division season with their third victory in six matches, beating Yorkshire by 21 runs in a dramatic encounter at Hove. They took 19 points to Yorkshire’s three.
Yorkshire, who are still looking for their first win, appeared to be cruising to their winning target of 183 at 158-6, with just 25 runs needed and half-centurian Adam Lyth in total control.
But then they lost four wickets for three runs – and Robinson, bowling down the hill from the Cromwell Road end, turned the game on its head with the first three of them, without conceding a run.
First, he had Lyth caught behind for a heroic 73, from 152 balls in 228 minutes. It was a short and sharp delivery which was too good for the left-handed opener.
Then, in his next over, Robinson struck twice, having Jordan Thompson brilliantly caught by Jack Carson at long leg before, four balls later, bowling Dom Leech for a duck.
Yorkshire had lost three wickets with the score on 158, all to Robinson. And finally, at 161, Ben Coad, batting with an injured back, was run out by Fynn Hudson-Prentice from point.
Yorkshire were favourites to win this match from the first morning when they put in the championship leaders on a grassy pitch and bowled them out for 150. They were favourites again yesterday when they set out to score 183 to win.
But Sussex were very competitive throughout the game and when they swept through Yorkshire’s middle order, Joe Root included, to reduce them to 45-4 and then 76-5, they were narrow favourites themselves.
They looked as though they would be denied by Lyth – and Yorkshire were clear favourites at tea, at 140-6.
They had made a bad start, slipping to 21-2. But they regrouped through Lyth and Root before being set back on their heels when they lost two wickets just before lunch.
First it was the big one, Root himself, who was lbw to a straight one in the penultimate over before the break. Root appeared to be falling over, slightly, to the off-side as he attempted to play the ball on the leg side.
Then, in the last over before the interval, George Hill edged Hudson-Prentice – who had just replaced Robinson at the Cromwell Road end – to the wicketkeeper and Yorkshire were struggling at 45-4.
Yorkshire were just edging ahead again when, at 76, James Wharton got an inside edge to one from Sean Hunt and the ball dislodged his leg bail.
Lyth started to mastermind yet another recovery, this time in the company of Jonathan Tattersall. But Carson had Tattersall, sweeping, caught at backward square-leg and then Robinson took over.
In the morning Sussex lost their last three wickets in 44 minutes for the addition of 33 runs. They resumed on 194-7, with a precarious lead of 149.
They lost their first wicket when Carson, who had added just three to his overnight 22, drove uppishly and was well caught in the covers by Wharton, moving sharply to his left.
The last two wickets went down in the space of five deliveries. Tom Alsop, 77 overnight, had added just nine when he attempted to cut a delivery by Hill but instead chopped it to third slip. He had batted five minutes short of six hours and faced 256 deliveries.
In the next over Robinson, who had been struck on the right arm in the course of some short stuff from Jordan Thompson, lost two of his stumps as he attempted to heave Hill over midwicket.
Sussex captain John Simpson: “This was a phenomenal day and a great advert for cricket. It was a great achievement by the boys.
“With them needing 183 to win, we had to get the ball in the right areas as much as we could and take early wickets. It was incredible from the bowling unit and to get over the line was phenomenal.
“I thought Ollie Robinson (a season’s best of four for 42 and seven wickets in the match) bowled magnificently in this game. He looks back to where he should be, knocking on that Test door.
“That was terrific bowling by him at the end. But Sean Hunt was fantastic too, with a career best in the first innings, backed up by Danny Lamb and Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Jack Carson at the end.”
