Hampshire 154 (52.3 overs)
Sussex 110-5 (43 overs)
Henry Crocombe and John Turner showed the value of their winter work with Dale Steyn in whirlwind spells as 15 wickets fell on day one at the Utilita Bowl in the Rothesay County Championship.
Fast bowlers Crocombe and Turner were part of the England Lions squad mentored over the winter by South Africa legend Steyn and coached by England great Andrew Flintoff.
Crocombe, on his first appearance of the summer for Sussex, claimed four for 27 – with all four wickets coming in 11 afternoon deliveries – to roll south coast rivals Hampshire for 154.
In reply, Turner ripped through the Sussex middle-order with three scalps in nine evening balls as the visitors slipped to 83-5 before blocking their way to 110-5 by the close – still 44 runs behind.
Hampshire chose to bat on a very green surface, one which would prove to nip and bounce unevenly as the day progressed.
Mark Stoneman only lasted four balls before he edged to second slip – the first of five Hampshire ducks. The rest of the hosts’ top order all got starts but only Ben Brown would kick on.
Fletcha Middleton, on the back of a match-winning 76 at Trent Bridge, oozed confidence with 34 and dominated a 43-run stand with Nick Gubbins.
But he fell leg-before to Fynn Hudson-Prentice before Tom Prest cramped himself for room and was caught at second slip for 18 and Gubbins was lbw to Jack Carson’s second delivery.
Liam Dawson began with four, six, four off Carson – but, after lunch, Crocombe came alive with a blistering spell.
Crocombe hadn’t played so far this season because of a shoulder injury which has dogged his recent campaigns. But with a return to fitness just as Ollie Robinson was rested with an ankle problem, he stepped up.
The 23-year-old finished strongly last season, having only made his first first-team appearance of the season in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup in late July. His form earned him a place on the Lions tour to South Africa. He played just once, taking a tidy two-for.
He sent Liam Dawson’s leg stumps spearing, before yorking Toby Albert first up. His hat-trick ball was a low full toss. But in his next over, he displaced James Fuller’s middle-stump with one that jagged back.
His fourth wicket in 11 balls saw one rise off a length to take the shoulder of Kyle Abbott’s bat and leap to third slip.
Brown looked unbeatable as he went to 50 in 98 balls against the team he spent 14 years with but there was little other resistance. James Coles polished off the tail by bowling Brad Wheal and John Turner.
In reply, the Sussex openers weren’t allowed to settle, with Tom Haines pouched at first slip and Oli Carter caught behind.
Tom Alsop and Coles put on 63 runs without a great deal of worry before Turner did his best Crocombe impression.
Having gone for 19 runs in his first 17 legal deliveries, Turner produced searing pace to take Alsop’s outside edge from just back of a length.
The out-of-form Tom Clark was squared up to edge to the cordon before Coles was castled attempting a booming drive. Turner had three wickets in nine balls to put Sussex in trouble.
John Simpson, who was dropped first ball, barely played a shot in anger as he and Hudson-Prentice reached close without further damage, facing 94 balls in their stubborn partnership.
Sussex fast bowler Henry Crocombe said: “The Lions tour was really good. I love going to Cape Town and it was a great group of lads. It was a great tour. It was exciting to be in and around an England squad.
“Steyn was like anyone else. He came in and spoke to us like he was just an ordinary guy which was quite surprising.
“He was very inspirational. He spoke a lot about the mental side of the game which was handy.
“Dale would say that in practice he didn’t necessarily care where the ball went as long as his speeds were up. He had to be at match intensity all the time and that is something I have been guilty of at times – not bowling to my full speed all the time.
“Even 5mph makes a massive difference for me so speaking to him about it was handy. It can hurt bowling fast but sometimes you have to get through it and you can get your rewards.
“There is a skill level difference between county and international cricket but a lot of it is mental. I think I have learned that more and more over the last few years. You have to back yourself and be confident in yourself otherwise you aren’t going to get there.
“It took a few overs to get into a rhythm but in the end I just ran in. We had a big wicket to get in Dawson and we stuck to a good plan of bowling straight and it worked.
“Rhythm is a massive thing for me. I’m a confidence bowler. When I’m in rhythm it really builds my confidence and you find a few mph out of nowhere. You’re steaming in and then the ball is moving more.
“The pitch is on the slower side but it started to seam about after lunch and then there was some variable bounce off a length. You have to work hard for your runs out there. You have to really dig in.”
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Hampshire fast bowler John Turner said: “I don’t think we saw that many wickets coming but that’s happened and now it is in our control to take these last five wickets for as few runs as possible and keep ourselves in the game.
“There is something in there for fast bowlers and spinners. I don’t think all the wickets they got were unbelievable balls. They got a bit lucky with some dismissals. We didn’t get a big enough score but it is going to be a shootout and we are definitely in it.
“Initially, it felt horrendous bowling. The first two overs weren’t great. But it is always great to get some wickets and I found some rhythm towards the end.
“Every over I bowled, I bowled better. I ran in harder and hit the crease with more momentum. It is weird how a spell ebbs and flows like that.
“It has been an interesting start to the season. It isn’t how I planned on it going. I wasn’t planning on going on loan but it served a good purpose for me and I enjoyed it.
“I am slowly going in the direction I want to be going in and I think that is noticeable from the sidelines as well. It has been a weird few months.
“I was in a really good place at the start of pre-season but there was a two-week period where everything went south. It turned around pretty quickly.
“It is weird to think I made my England debut six months ago and then went on loan trying to find some cricket after that.”
