Sussex 386-8 (101 overs)
Leicestershire 328 (88.4 overs)
Sussex (6 points) lead Leicestershire (4 points) by 58 runs with 2 first innings wickets remaining
Dan Hughes scored his first century of the season to place Sussex in a commanding position against Leicestershire at Hove before a series of poor strokes let the visitors back in the game.
At 196-2 Sussex were powerfully placed to gain a decisive lead. But Leicestershire, led by on-loan fast bowler Tom Helm, and assisted by poor stokes from Jack Leaning, Hughes and James Coles, just kept themselves in the game.
Batting looked a difficult business when Sussex started the day on 3-0. And with the last ball of the fourth over Tom Clark, defending, edged a delivery from Helm that straightened and Rishi Patel took a sharp catch at first slip.
Helm struck again in his next over when, without addition, Dan Ibrahim, replacing the unwell Tom Haines, edged a straight ball and Rishi Patel again took the catch.
Helm, on loan from Middlesex, was the stand-out Leicestershire bowler all day, finding bounce and movement from his straight and purposeful approach.
The worry for Leicestershire, in the absence of the injured Josh Davey, is that the rest of the attack wasn’t quite in Helm’s class, though Ben Green was threatening on occasions.
Ian Holland opened the attack with Helm and frequently Hughes jumped down the pitch to attack the Leicestershire captain’s bowling.
While the ball was still hard there were problems for the Sussex batsmen. Jack Leaning struggled in particular in the opening hour and he might have been fortunate to survive a plausible LBW appeal from Green.
At lunch Sussex were 125-2, with Hughes 77 not out and Leaning unbeaten on 28. Hughes reached his century, off 154 deliveries, when he square-drove Holland to the point boundary.
When Ben Cox fluffed a stumping chance off the bowling of Ajaz Patel, with Leaning on 44, the visiting side must have wondered where the next wicket would come from.
But Sussex came to their aid. Leaning had just reached a patient, obdurate fifty, off 131 deliveries, with five fours, when he gave it away, going down the wicket to drive a simple catch to mid-on.
Sussex were 196-3. Leaning’s innings – and his demise – replicated Holland’s effort the previous day.
There was more where that came from. Hughes had been batting at his best and looked set for a massive score. But having made 136, he drove a wide half-volley to cover, with the score at 224-4.
The Australian left-hander looked crestfallen. But he had played a gorgeous innings, batting for 229 minutes and hitting 20 fours.
The out-of-form James Coles, dropped a place to No 5 in the hope of finding his touch, looked in the mood when he expertly guided Tom Scriven to third man for four.
But he had made only 19 when he attempted a lavish off-side stroke off the back foot and edged to Cox, who took a splendid catch. The hosts were 245-5.
Sussex appeared to be throwing it away, losing three careless wickets in the space of 49 runs. But some of the best batting was still to come.
John Simpson, batting with power and easy timing, put on a sprightly 88 in 20 overs with Charlie Tear.
Helm ended the fun when he took the new ball, at 333-5, and had Tear LBW on the back foot for an eye-catching, 67-ball 44.
Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Jack Carson fell cheaply but Simpson was still there at the close, unbeaten on 89.
Hughes said: “It was very pleasing to go on and get three figures. I’ve had a few starts this year and haven’t really converted them.
“We’ve got our noses in front, nearly 60 ahead. There’s probably a few dismissals in the middle order, myself included, which we’d like to take back, which let them back in the game.
“If we were really ruthless, we’d have a 120-run lead by now and been five down. We had them by the scruff of the neck. But it wasn’t to be. All we can do is learn from it for next time.
“I’ve been batting well. Jack (Leaning) and I had a time batting together against Warwickshire. We just fed off each other. It was great to have that partnership today. I just wish we prolonged it.”
