Sussex 528
Warwickshire 223-3
Warwickshire trail Sussex by 305 runs with seven first innings wickets remaining.
Bowlers continue to suffer in the Birmingham sunshine as an opening-round runfest unfolds between Warwickshire and Sussex in the Rothesay County Championship Division One at Edgbaston.
Sussex have returned to the top tier in style, amassing 528 all out after captain John Simpson added a superb unbeaten 181 off 262 balls to Tom Clark’s opening day century.
Warwickshire’s injury-hit attack, led by debutants Ethan Bamber (four for 105) and Tazeem Ali (three for 103), plugged away nobly but found the going tough in good batting conditions.
Sussex’s hopes of turning that strong total into a victory were then held up by the home batters who responded with 223-3.
Rob Yates closed the second day on 113 (148 balls) after captain Alex Davies launched the reply with an aggressive 66 (65 balls).
Edgbaston pitches in recent years have tended to flatten out as matches lengthen so it is difficult to see either side forcing a victory. Both would probably be happy enough with a solid draw from their season opener.
Sussex resumed on the second day on 386-5 and were given early impetus by Jack Carson’s punchy 28 before he lifted Ed Barnard to deep square leg in pursuit of his fourth boundary of the over.
Fynn Hudson-Prentice was soon lbw to Bamber but the implacable Simpson was joined by Danny Lamb (35, 71) in a stand of 85 in 25 overs.
Lamb and Ollie Robinson fell lbw to successive balls from Tazeem – and Simpson’s hopes of challenging his career best 205 ended when Jayden Seales scooped Michael Booth to mid-wicket.
Warwickshire opening batters Davies and Yates enjoyed their moments of good fortune against the new ball attack of Robinson and Seales but batted positively and the score advanced briskly as soon as the ball softened.
Davies hit 11 fours on his way to a 48-ball half-century as his side eased to 112 without loss from 21 overs at tea.
They reached that point without taking risks which made Davies’s departure, slashing the third ball of the evening session, a wide, short offering from Seales, to third man all the more strange.
Hamza Shaikh (23, 48) helped the steady Yates to add 56 in 14 overs but was undone by a lovely ball from Carson.
Having seen a flighted delivery driven for four earlier in the over, the off-spinner looped up another which turned sharply to bowl the batter through a drive.
That left Warwickshire, needing 379 to avoid the follow on, 172-2 with 17 overs left in the day.
Yates chugged on to a 132-ball hundred but the departure of Sam Hain, who edged Seales to slip with 17 balls left in the day, sent Sussex off the field with a spring in their step.
The visitors could be forgiven for feeling that a strong morning tomorrow could keep the door open to them returning to Division One with a very impressive win.
Sussex captain John Simpson said: “I’m just trying to keep things really simple and cash in as much as I can.
“Taking over the captaincy is spurring me on a bit, trying to drive the team forward, and it’s nice to contribute and get a few runs.
“I think I am thriving on the captaincy. It’s very fresh to me so I am just trying to immerse myself in it and do the best I can and bounce from batting to keeping and back up the words I tell the lads in the changing room and go out there and put them into action.
“We started the season really well yesterday and were pretty good again today with the bat. Then with the ball the first hour and a bit was disappointing.
“But we pulled it back a little bit towards the back end which was great. Sealesy did really well considering he was fresh off the plane and I thought Jack Carson was outstanding.”
Warwickshire batter Rob Yates said: “I couldn’t have asked for a better personal start. I’m in a really nice position overnight and the game’s in a nice position overnight.
“It’s a really good cricket wicket. There is enough there to keep the bowlers interested but also enough there for the batters.
“Chatting in the dressing room after day two we were saying there is a game to be won here. No four-day games are won easily but crazy things can happen.
“You have just got to earn the right to be in a position to put the opposition under pressure. But we have a big job to do first just to get level with them so we won’t be getting too far ahead of ourselves.
“Alex and I managed to find a few boundaries early on which gave us a good start. I didn’t go away last winter and I think that did me some good.
“I was still working hard at my game but also chilling out a bit and mentally switching off which means that I have come back refreshed.”
