Sussex 204 (50.3 overs) and 234-5 (61 overs)
Warwickshire 267 (79.4 overs) and 264 (80.3 overs)
Sussex need 94 runs to win with five wickets remaining
An unbeaten 72 by Jack Leaning has given Sussex the opportunity to make it back-to-back wins in the Rothesay County Championship.
The former Kent and Yorkshire player, who joined Sussex over the winter, defied Warwickshire’s persevering attack for three hours on day three at Hove to help take his side to 234-5, needing 94 more to win.
Leaning came in with Sussex in trouble at 68-3 but he and opener Dan Hughes revived their fortunes with a fourth-wicket stand of 108.
Jordan Thompson was rewarded for some wholehearted bowling when Hughes played on for 89 – the Australian’s first mistake in an innings that might still help Sussex get over the line.
Michael Booth then angled one into John Simpson’s pads and got it to straighten to leave Sussex 184-5, still needing 144.
But the composed Leaning posted his first half-century for his new county and has so far put on 50 for the sixth wicket with Tom Price.
Sussex have only successfully chased bigger fourth-innings targets at Hove on four occasions and the odds on them making it five were rocked by Ethan Bamber’s new-ball burst.
Tom Haines edged low to second slip, defeated by late seam movement, and Tom Clark was caught at gully playing away from his body.
James Coles was palpably leg before when working a straight ball from Booth to leg and at that stage Warwickshire were eyeing up a three-day finish.
Hughes, however, was rock solid in defence and punished anything loose while Leaning grew in confidence as their partnership blossomed.
Earlier, Sussex had hoped to keep Warwickshire’s lead to under 300 when they took three wickets in 23 balls in the first hour including Rob Yates for 90 after Warwickshire resumed on 154-5.
But they were frustrated by ninth-wicket pair Booth and Thompson whose stand of 64 might yet prove decisive.
Booth in particular played aggressively, hoisting Henry Crocombe’s bouncer on to the top tier of the pavilion as well as hitting eight fours.
He departed two short of what would have been only his second first-class fifty when he mistimed a pull off Ollie Robinson in the third over after lunch.
Sussex only needed three deliveries with the new ball to end the innings as Thompson slogged to long on.
That gave Fynn Hudson Prentice his fourth wicket while Robinson finished with 3-48, having earlier ended a sixth-wicket partnership of 84 between Yates and Kai Smith.
The latter was defeated by extra bounce before Robinson got one to hold its line and peg back Chris Woakes’s off stump.
However, it was Price, with the third delivery of his spell, who made the crucial breakthrough when Yates, after more than four hours of patient accumulation, made his only mistake with a loose drive to short mid-wicket.
It is the top score in the game so far and might still be the match-winning one. Leaning, though, will have other ideas.
Warwickshire opener Rob Yates said: “It’s been a cracking game for the neutrals which is still in the balance. We still believe we can come back tomorrow, take the last five wickets and win.
“It’s been a game where each innings has followed the one before. Hopefully, we can hit the ground running tomorrow and make an early breakthrough.
“I was pleased with how I played. It was important for someone to stick around. The pitch seems to have gotten better and it was my job to do the best I could and get the team in as good a position as possible.”
Sussex bowling coach James Kirtley said: “Both sides will still feel they can win a match that has been another great advert for county cricket on a surface which has produced some outstanding cricket in the first three days, with everything still to play for.
“Our batters play to their strengths. They are attacking players. By no means is it reckless. They try to be positive once they have adapted to the conditions. It gives everyone in the team the belief that we can win a game like this.
“Hughes and Leaning are two experienced heads and that’s we want in this situation. They fed off each other and when runs are flowing from one end it allows the other player to find their feet.
“We are in a good position to win and that’s all we try to be in on the final morning of a game.”
Sussex have three bonus points and Warwickshire four bonus points.
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