Talking Points

Sussex ran into familiar problems against Yorkshire’s high-class bowling attack as they finished Day 2 with a precarious lead of 149 runs despite Tom Alsop’s score of 77 not out, reports Will Hugall.

In a day of swings and turns, Sussex occassionally felt like the beneficiaries but had the momentum sucked away from them toward the close.

Yorkshire’s numerous options with the ball ensured pressure never relented, and with the cheap wickets of Sussex’s middle order, go into a potential final day of the game on Sunday as favourites if they can displace Alsop.

Nonetheless, the hosts will have high hopes that Alsop – having already made the biggest innings of a overwhelmingly low-scoring contest – can push on and lead a spectacular escape job.

Mopping up the tail

Following mischevious rainfall throughout the early morning, fans arriving at Hove – in smaller numbers intially than Day 1 – were told they had to wait for a 11:45am start.

This looked like the worst of the wet stuff, although one eye would always be on the permanent grey clouds overhead.

Once the action got underway, Sussex tasked Tom Haines – fresh from taking the shock wicket of Joe Root on Friday – and Ollie Robinson with galvanising a wicket that had lost its early green tinge; one an obvious call, the other another surprise tactic from captain John Simpson.

Unsurprisingly, it was the bowler with 76 Test wickets and 404 first-class wickets who proved the more threatening.

Robinson almost took the scalp of Matthew Revis as umpire David Millns ruled the Yorkshire batsman pulled his bat out from a ball that sailed through to the slip cordon, and a real reward came soon after.

With pace picking up with every delivery, Robinson got a ball to rear up and strike Jordan Thompson on the elbow, from where it cannoned onto the stumps.

The usually big-hitting Thompson was gone for just 13 runs, and Sussex soon swept up the tailenders as Sean Hunt had Ben Coad caught and bowled on four, and Dom Leech foolishly left a searing delivering from Robinson without scoring.

Sussex were delighted with their efforts, taking the last three wickets for just 19 runs in 33 minutes of play, leaving Yorkshire with a lead of 45 runs at 195 all out.

Robinson (3-25 from 15.3 overs), Hunt (a career best 4-64 from 14) and Fynn Hudson-Prentice (2-23 from 8) all played their part in keeping Sussex in the match, which was moving along at a quite ridiculous pace.

The road to recovery

With Sussex’s opener Tom Haines and Tom Clark taking to the crease, it was clear they both needed some luck to turn their form around.

The pitch had still been doing plenty all morning, which was far from ideal for Clark, in particular, after making just one score above 18 in the first five-and-a-half matches of the season, while Haines had been frustrated with scores of 19 and 14 last week at Glamorgan.

Whatever the pair hoped for, it did not work out for them.

Haines played a loopy shot to a regulation delivery from Jordan Thompson – spooning a catch to Shan Masood without scoring – and furiously berated himself as he walked before the catch was taken.

Clark then showed too much ambition against Ben Coad, chipping down the ground to Matthew Revis to make the score a thoroughly miserable 6-2.

It was left to older heads to guide the Sussex response, then, as Cheteshwar Pujara joined Tom Alsop in the middle.

The pair – with a combined 366 first-class appearances and 25,296 runs between them – survived the remaining overs before Lunch and then settled in for the long haul after the interval.

They played measured, unfussy cricket, leaving well and covering up in defiance.

This was an anthithesis to the ‘Bazball’ leanings of others in the Sussex top order and an approach that emerged from a difficult spell against Coad and Thompson by playing some fine shots, getting on the front and back foot equally well to play diagonally around the ground with several drives for three.

Gradually, the score ticked on and on.

First, the pair reached a milestone that in most other matches would be routine; their 50 partnership, which was the first by either side in the match.

Then, they accumulated in increments of 10; pushing the lead to 15, then 25, then 35.

All the while, they had been taming the Yorkshire pacemen; on came George Hill, then Thompson switched ends, and then came Dom Leech.

Each bowler’s manner of verve and steely focus seemed capable of resuccitating a previously vivacious pitch, but try as they might, Yorkshire were seeing the game transform in front of them.

Even when a breakthrough did come, and appeared to be serious as Pujara was trapped on 33 by a rocket skidding onto his pads from Leech, Sussex rebuilt again.

The odd couple

James Coles played as he usually does, riding by the seat of pants with a couple of shots but looking ever so serene as he launched two beautiful cover drives off Thompson, and became a fine partner for the more pragmatic Alsop.

Both Coles and Alsop are sons of Buckinghamshire – the former from Aylesbury, the latter a High Wycombe man – but this is where the similarities between them end.

Alsop sits low in his crease, employing a crab-like stance to adjust to any tells from the bowler as they steam in.

Coles plays upright, using his lithe, athletic frame to his advantage with the capability to hit a full range of shots from most deliveries.

With Alsop, you know what you will get; with Coles, it is a joyous lottery.

The pair remained together at Tea, when the score was 123-3 and Sussex led by a reasonable 78 runs after an afternoon session that represented a retreat to reality.

There were chances, however; Leech almost had his second wicket of the day, bowling Alsop with a ball that must have been nearing 85 miles per hour, but being called back like a schoolboy who had forgotton his P.E. kit as the umpires confirmed he had overstepped.

In short spells either side of Tea, spin finally made its first appearance of the match too.

Joe Root further endeared himself to an adoring crowd as he sent down five maidens in his first seven overs, faultless in keeping the ball turning in to the batsmen.

Turning the screw

As the pressure built, pace increased at the other end.

Yorkshire turned to their bright young things in the absence of Coad and Thompson, and their post-Tea industry, awakened a brew and an energy bar, ripped the game back in the Tykes’ favour.

Hill struck in his second over after Tea; prompting Coles into a miscue which gave James Wharton a good catch.

John Simpson then strode out, desperately needing a score after amassing a grand total of 3, 0, 0 and 6 in his last four innings.

It got no better on this occasion, as his mini-vigil consisted of 24 deliveries and just six runs when he feathered a catch to Root at first slip.

Middle-order fragility had been a mounting issue in Sussex’s recent run, costing them in their first innings at Glamorgan the previous week and reappearing on Day 1, but the solution to their woes did not come here.

Fynn Hudson-Prentice was expected to attack but only played a couple of front-foot shots to score 11 from 21 balls before Leech pinned him LBW.

Just 33 runs were scored from the first 21 overs of the evening session, plopping Sussex back in very hot water.

The difficulty of their situation – leading by just over 100 runs but with few wickets to play with – seemed to leave Sussex tongue-tied and scrambled, not sure whether to stick or twist.

Hudson-Prentice’s disappointing demise was followed by an even worse cameo from Danny Lamb, who continued his underwhelming spell in the last two matches by getting out for 0, falling LBW to Coad.

Lamb is a utility player for Sussex; not their best batsmen, nor their best bowler, nor their best all-rounder. With no major success with bat or ball – or in the field – in the last month it is becoming harder to justify his selection over a superior specialist player like Ari Karvelas.

Jack Carson at least joined Alsop for a more cohesive eighth-wicket partnership worth 34, salvaging some hope for Sussex as the day ebbed away and was eventually ended by bad light.