Sussex 386-5. Warwickshire yet bat.
Centuries by Tom Clark and John Simpson ensured that Sussex returned to Division One of the Rothesay County Championship in some style, with a strong day’s work against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
Clark struck an accomplished 140 off 279 balls and Simpson an assertive unbeaten 116 (142) in a partnership of 200 in 44 overs as Sussex recovered from 40-3 to close on 386-5.
Three early wickets for debutant Ethan Bamber appeared to vindicate Warwickshire’s decision to bowl first but it then became a struggle for an attack missing injured first choice opening bowlers Olly Hannon-Dalby and Chris Rushworth.
Clark and Simpson took full advantage to post their fourth and 16th first class centuries respectively.
Warwickshire, their squad in deep transition, started the season with four debutants – Bamber, Vishwa Fernando, Tazeem Ali and Kai Smith – and two of the newcomers opened the bowling to very different effect.
Fernando went for three fours in his first over of a fruitless spell but Bamber unfurled an excellent opening burst of 7-5-8-3.
The former Middlesex all-rounder trapped Tom Haines lbw, playing across the line, then removed Daniel Hughes and Tom Alsop with successive balls.
Hughes copped an arguable lbw decision before Alsop edged an outswinger to Rob Yates at second slip.
The brittle foundation of 40-3 was diligently shored up by a stand of 121 in 37 overs between Clark and James Coles with a tally of 51 (102).
The latter played fluently to be first to his half-century but then rather gave it away when he skied an ill-judged leg-side swipe at Tazeem to give the 18-year-old leg-spinner his first championship wicket.
Any hopes that the sizeable home crowd harboured of another Sussex clatter proved ill-founded. Instead, Simpson joined Clark to make it back-to-back century stands.
Sussex skipper Simpson enjoyed a superb first season at Hove last year, averaging 74.81 with the bat in the championship, and he resumed in the same vein as he breezed to a 58-ball half-century.
Clark, meanwhile, concentrated implacably and reached his fourth first class century, from 223 balls, with his 15th four, cut off a short delivery from Dan Mousley.
On a pitch offering little assistance for the bowlers, the limitations of Warwickshire’s injury-hit attack became clear as the fifth-wicket pair’s partnership passed 150.
The depleted nature of that attack does raise a question mark over Warwickshire’s decision to bowl first though that decision might have a bit to do with the recent history of Edgbaston pitches. They have tended to flatten out as the match goes on, making wickets even harder to acquire.
Clark perished six overs before the close when he edged Ed Barnard behind but in the next over Simpson followed him to three figures, becoming the first Sussex player ever to reach a first class century with a three to backward point on a Friday in Birmingham.
Sussex’s return to Division One has been highly encouraging.
Warwickshire all-rounder Ethan Bamber said: “It was a nice way to start. It is a big responsibility to set the tone with the new ball so
I was pleased to take some wickets and start well for my new club.
“The pitch has developed into quite a true batting surface during the day but it felt this morning that you could get some steep bounce off the surface. There was some nice pace in it and good carry.
“Some of the life in the wicket deadened later on and there was less lateral movement but if we are totally honest I think we’ll admit there were too many boundary balls.
“We didn’t quite bring our best skill set into play, especially in the latter portion of the day, and I take my share of responsibility for that with too many poor balls with the second new ball.
“But it looks a good wicket and with a good first session tomorrow we are still very much in the game.”
Sussex batter Tom Clark said: “It’s our first time in Division One for about 10 years and we are very excited as a group to see what we can do at this level. If can do what we did last year and bring the same energy and skills and intent, then we could do well and it’s been a good first day.
“It was a tough start with the ball doing a bit in the morning but me and Colesy knew we just had to get through to lunch and then hopefully cash in when the bowlers came on for the second and third spells.
“It’s the first time I have properly batted with John Simpson and he is unbelievable. He makes it look so easy. He scores so freely and takes all the pressure off you and it is great to bat with him because the scoreboard is always ticking over.
“When you come into Division One you want to prove to yourself and others that you can do it so I am probably proudest of that century.
“I had to fight my way through at times and took a lot of balls on the thighpad and people round the ground probably thought it wasn’t the best innings in the world. But I was proud of the way I fought. Maybe at times in the past I would have given that away for 30 or 40.”
