Haines takes 4-48 as Sussex suffer close defeat

Sussex Seconds lost by 68 runs to Kent in their Second XI Championship match this week.

Kent won the toss and opted to bat first on day one at The County Ground, Beckenham, and opening batsmen Sam Burgess and Louis Kimber put on a partnership of 62 before Kimber was bowled by Ishwarjot Sohi for 22. 

Fellow opener Burgess then fell for 45 after being stumped by Joe Billings off the bowling of Abdullah Nazir, before Billings caught Adam Rouse behind after a 109-run partnership between him and Ben Compton. 

Compton spent less time with his next partner, as Marcus O'Riordan was caught at first slip by Harry Finch for four to give Will Collard his first wicket of the match, and Compton's wicket fell soon after when Tom Haines dismissed him for an impressive 144.

Eight overs later, Harry Houillon was caught by Finch, again in the slips, to earn Haines his second wicket - and Kent declared on 404-6 after 90.3 overs with ten overs left on the opening day. 

Brandon Gilmour and Tom Haines opened for Sussex, but Haines was soon caught behind by Rouse off the bowling of Fred Klaassen, and Collard was then bowled by Klaasen for 0 as the visitors finished day one on 24-2. 

Early on day two, Gilmour was out for 23, and then Finch was dismissed by Imran Qayyum as Kent bowled well in cloudy conditions. Harrison Ward battled well to steady Sussex's innings, but could only watch on as George Garton went for 0. 

Aaron Thomason's wicket was next to fall when he was bowled by O'Riordan, before Ward's dogged innings of 46 came to an end when he was dismissed by the dangerous Klaassen. 

Alastair Orr and Billings then came to the crease and added to Ward's resistance with two vital knocks of 77* and 51, as Sussex were eventually all out for 268 with Sohi bowled for seven and Henry Crocombe out for 0. 

Kent began their second innings 136 runs ahead, but their top-order struggled against Sussex's bowlers. Kimber was trapped LBW for 22 by Nazir, before Haines claimed four wickets for just 48 runs as Rouse, Compton, O'Riordan and Houillon all fell victim to the right-arm seamer. 

Jarred Lysaught was then caught by Ward off the bowling Thomason, and Kent soon declared on 168-6 after some last minute hitting from Klaassen and Qayyum. 

Requiring 305 for victory, captain Finch looked to get his side towards their target, but he was eventually trapped LBW for 46 after Gilmour and Haines had already been dismissed. 

Thomason added 24 runs to the total but had his innings curtailed by Qayyum, but Billings kept Sussex's hopes alive heading into tea with 62 off 70.

However, the wicket-keeper was dismissed just after the interval, and when Sohi went for 24, the chase was scuppered and Sussex fell 68 runs short of their target.