George Garton shines bright with bat on another rain-affected day

A fluent eighth wicket partnership of 96 in 21 overs between David Wiese and George Garton put Sussex on top against Worcestershire at The 1st Central County Ground.

The first half of the second day’s play had been washed out but Wiese and Garton made up for that after the overnight pair of Ben Brown and Tom Clark had fallen in successive overs.

Wiese struck a typically powerful 47 from 72 deliveries, with eight fours. But Garton was even more impressive, with a career best unbeaten 59 which followed his maiden first-class half-century in the previous match against Derbyshire.

Fast bowler Garton wants to be recognised more as an all-rounder and he is pressing his claims.  Here, he faced just 68 deliveries and hit nine fours in an innings that showed his timing as well as power. He reached his fifty with a sumptuous extra-cover drive for four off Ed Barnard, who was armed with the new ball.

The Worcestershire pace attack bowled well, but the surface was slow and then, towards the end of the day, they didn’t make the most of the new ball. The day was further curtailed when the players left the field eight overs early because of bad light.

Any play at all felt something of a bonus. When the teams took an early lunch at noon it was with the half-expectation that play would be called off shortly afterwards. But then the sun came out and another inspection was announced for 2pm, with the result that play would start at 3pm with 42 overs to be bowled.

Sussex resumed on 150 for five and in the 80 minutes before tea they progressed  to 216 for seven.

Brown, seven not out overnight, scored the first runs of the day when he cover-drove Charlie Morris’s third delivery through the covers for four.

The tall, left-handed Tom Clark, 18 and making his first-class debut, looked impressive and in the mood to make a claim for a top order batting place next season in what has been a disappointing season for the county in that department. The England Under-19 batsman pulled a short delivery from Adam Finch to square-leg for four and when Wayne Parnell replaced Morris at the sea end he punched another boundary through the covers.

But then, looking to cut a wide Parnell delivery, he was caught by Riki Wessels at first slip for 13. And in the next over Ed Barnard had Brown lbw for 33. Just before tea Parnell, in the middle of an over, had to be helped from field clutching his left arm.

Garton spoke at the close: “I’ve been out for a while with injuries so it’s nice to come back into the team and put in a few performances with the bat. I worked hard early season with Michael Yardy and it’s nice to see the fruits of that labour.  I had a chat with the coach earlier on in the year and we identified my role more as that of an all-rounder, contributing with both the ball and the bat.  I’m definitely progressing with the bat.  It’s still my weaker strength but I’m working on it.

“It’s been a very frustrating season with injuries.  Nobody likes being injured.  Injuries do happen to fast bowlers.  To do the same injury twice was very frustrating, coming back and tearing my side again.  But I’ve worked on my mental side of the game and my approach to training.  And I’ve worked out a plan how to get my side as strong as possible.”