Yorkshire are closing in on victory over Vitality County Championship Division Two leaders Sussex at Hove following Ben Coad’s new ball five-for at Scarborough, setting up a victory target of 103 late on day three.
Sussex started the day on 26 without loss in their second innings, 111 runs behind the league’s third-placed side, and were bowled out for 239 as seamer Coad returned five for 69. His wickets came with the first and second new balls.
Half-centuries for Tom Alsop and captain John Simpson, who top-scored with 67, meant the visitors were not over-run. But they realistically needed more to defy a Yorkshire attack who kept on coming at them.
The hosts then closed the day on 28 for two from 10 overs and require 75 more to seal a third win in as many four-day games.
Sussex were teetering at lunch against their third-placed rivals, 66 for three in their second innings and still 71 runs in arrears. Only their second defeat of 2024 looked like it might come quickly.
However, Alsop with 61 – his second fifty of the match – and Simpson held things up with a fifth-wicket partnership of 85, compiled through the majority of the afternoon.
A 45-minute rain delay from 11.10am cut 10 overs from the day’s allocation of 103.
Yorkshire still had enough time before lunch to prise out three Sussex wickets.
George Hill claimed two of them with his seam after Fin Bean had helped Coad strike with a stunning one-handed leaping catch above his head at third slip to remove the Australian opener Daniel Hughes.
That wicket had come in the opening stages of the day, before the rain.
Afterwards, Hill had Tom Haines caught by Bean at first slip and Tom Clark caught behind by Jonny Bairstow – his first catch of the match. Both Toms were out playing loosely.
By now, Sussex were faced with a pitch showing significant signs of invariable bounce. Clark, for example, faced balls which rapped him on the gloves from Jordan Thompson and shot past his ankle from Hill en-route to 17.
Thompson himself struck in the early stages of the afternoon when he uprooted James Coles’ leg-stump – 84 for four in the 36th over.
But that paved the way for the Sussex fightback, with Alsop and Simpson – their two most prolific batters this season – wiping out the remaining 53-run deficit and claiming a lead.
Largely, they advanced with caution, though Alsop, who drove nicely, did reverse sweep one of his boundaries off Dan Moriarty’s left-arm spin.
By the time tea arrived, Sussex were 164 for four, 27 ahead and Alsop had reached a 125-ball fifty.
Their partnership was closing in on three figures when Alsop was caught behind at the second attempt by Bairstow on the cut.
And when Fynn Hudson-Prentice was run out at the striker’s end having been sent back by Simpson, with Jonny Tattersall from backward point and Bairstow combining, Sussex were 179 for six in the 78th over, leading by 42 and with the new ball on the horizon.
That new ball worked immediately for Yorkshire, with Coad getting Jack Carson caught behind.
At 188 for seven, the earlier good work of Alsop and Simpson was threatening to be undermined. So it proved.
As Simpson reached his fifty off 129 balls, Ollie Robinson clubbed a quick 28, only for him to be caught behind off Coad. Bairstow’s fourth catch of the day left Sussex 226 for eight, leading by 89.
Coad had Jaydev Unadkat caught at mid-on shortly afterwards before bowling Simpson, who tried to ramp a second six as he was shorn of partners, to wrap things up with his 35th wicket of the campaign. No bowler has taken more in Division Two this season.
Unadkat and Robinson then had Bean and Thompson caught in the slips – 18-2 – to at least give Sussex a glimmer of hope that they can achieve what would be a remarkable turnaround.
