Yorkshire yet to bat
Sussex 187-9 (72 overs)
Yorkshire enjoyed the better of a hard-fought opening day of their Vitality County Championship promotion battle with Division Two leaders Sussex at Scarborough, though potentially not by much.
Sussex came into this 10th round Division Two affair top of the table with six wins and Yorkshire third with two. The gap between the two sides was 27 points and both have high hopes of playing top-flight cricket next season.
Sussex, invited to bat in challenging conditions, battled hard to reach close at 187-9 from 72 overs, including half-centuries for left-handers Daniel Hughes and Tom Alsop who top-scored with 84 not out off 184 balls.
They had to recover from 14-2 during the early stages of the afternoon after rain had limited the morning session to only four overs. Matthew Revis’s seam accounted for three wickets.
Although the day was shortened by 24 overs due to rain at the start and bad light at the end, the play was intriguing and it would be absolutely no surprise if Sussex’s total turns out to be a competitive one.
They batted under grey skies and on a pitch showing signs of uneven bounce.
Hughes, who made 53, and Alsop, the latter dropped in the slips on nine during the afternoon, both drove nicely.
Australian overseas opener Hughes has enjoyed an excellent start to life with Sussex during the second half of the summer, mainly in the Vitality Blast. And he has just signed on to return for the majority of 2025.
He drove the first ball of the match, from Coad, through the covers after Jonny Tattersall had elected to bowl.
Another memorable one came almost arrow straight off George Hill midway through the afternoon to move him into the forties. But, largely, he was forced to battle hard.
Unfortunately, having done the hard work and got set – he reached his fifty off 85 balls – he drove Coad to cover two balls later, falling to leave Sussex at 75-3 in the 30th over.
Either side of the morning rain, from 11.20am to 1.10pm, including lunch, Coad had trapped Tom Haines lbw with a full ball with the last delivery of the contest’s opening over before Tom Clark was caught at point having aimed a lazy drive at Thompson.
Hughes and Alsop then shared 61 for the third wicket to ease Sussex nerves. Like Hughes, Alsop has this week committed his future to Hove, signing a long-term contract.
He was also strong on the drive but was far more obdurate than Hughes, seemingly determined to make the most of his life on nine when Fin Bean shelled a head-high chance at third slip off the bowling of Matthew Revis.
After the Hughes dismissal, Thompson trapped James Coles lbw – 85-4 in the 36th over.
Alsop and captain John Simpson shared 40 into the evening but the latter pulled George Hill’s seam to midwicket. When Fynn Hudson-Prentice edged Revis to first slip shortly afterwards, Sussex were 134-6 in the 55th.
Shortly afterwards, Alsop reached his half-century off 142 balls.
Jack Carson and Indian seamer Jaydev Unadkat then offered catches to third and fourth slip as they drove at Revis. Sandwiched in between, Ollie Robinson edged Dan Moriarty’s left-arm spin to slip as the score slipped to 172-9 in the 69th over.
Jonny Bairstow took the wicketkeeping gloves for Yorkshire in his first county appearance of the season and was neat and tidy while Sussex’s new ball seamer Robinson was only called upon late on with the bat and made two.
Both men are hoping to rekindle their England Test careers.
Shortly before bad light was called at 6.15pm, the excellent Alsop hit two boundaries – one reverse swept and the other swept – off Moriarty as he ran out of partners.
