Hundreds for Oli Carter & Ali Orr as Jofra Archer returns

There were plenty of positives for Sussex to take from their drawn 2nd XI Championship match against Surrey at The 1st Central County Ground this week.

Pathway player, Oli Carter, and first-year professional, Ali Orr, both scored magnificent hundreds, Jofra Archer returned to action, while former pro, Will Sheffield, pathway left-arm spinner, Joe Pocklington and skipper Will Beer were in the wickets.

After winning the toss, Sussex made the most of their decision to bat first by racking up 487. Opener Marcus Campopiano set the tone with 66 and added 82 for the second wicket with Beer (37).

Marcus Campopiano saw Sussex's first innings of to a good start

The dismissals of Campopiano, Beer and Orr inside 11 overs saw Sussex slip to 142 for 4, but that brought Carter to the crease who stroked 22 fours and a six on his way to a brilliant 160 from 244 balls.

It had all the hallmarks of a breakthrough innings for the 19-year-old right-hander, whose previous top score in eleven second team matches was 15.

What an innings! Oli Carter has just been dismissed for 1⃣6⃣0⃣ and our second XI are all out for 487 vs. Surrey. 💯

Match Day Centre & clips: https://t.co/nnrihMgD48 pic.twitter.com/FZ0Kb4CDGq

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) May 5, 2021

The Eastbourne CC player, who was the last man out, received good support from pathway colleagues Dan Ibrahim (44) and Ed Taylor (40), Archer (35) and debutant Luc Benkenstein – son of Dale – (26).

Left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty was the pick of Surrey’s bowlers, taking 4 for 122 from 38.3 overs. James Taylor and Conor McKerr took two wickets each.

Surrey replied with 410 in their first innings thanks to skipper Ryan Patel’s 126 and scores in the forties for former Sussex man Laurie Evans, Nico Reifer and George Ealham, son of former England international Mark.

Sheffield picked up 4 for 110 from 26 overs, while Pocklington was impressive in taking 3 for 52 from 21 tidy overs. Playing his first game since hand surgery and an elbow injury, Archer claimed 2 for 102 from four balls short of 30 overs, while captain Will Beer was economical on his way to 1 for 79 from 29 overs.

Not a bad delivery! 😅

Two wickets for @JofraArcher against Surrey's second XI yesterday, including this one... ☄️ pic.twitter.com/vBc5s09l4B

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) May 7, 2021

Beer – with 41 from number three - was the main support to Orr in Sussex’s second innings of 243 for 8 declared. The 20-year-old wicketkeeper batsman looked particularly strong driving through the off-side on his way to an unbeaten 102 from 188 balls, his maiden 2nd XI century.

Requiring an unlikely 321 for victory in around a session and a half, Surrey made a quick start thanks largely to the strokeplay of Ryan Patel. While he motored to 60 from 60 balls including four sixes, other batsmen found it harder on a wicket now aiding the spinners.

Pocklington (2 for 34) had Ben Geddes stumped in the 14th over, the first of four wickets to fall in five overs. Beer dismissed Ealham for a duck and Evans for one, before Patel was caught in the deep off a Pocklington full toss.

Reifer gave Beer his third wicket off the innings via a sharp catch by Carter at first slip, leaving Justin Broad and Nicholas Kimber to guide Surrey to the close, which they reached on 153 for 5.

A fantastic Ali Orr innings 💯

His unbeaten 102 for our 2nd XI against Surrey came off 188 balls with 15 fours. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/EgGwCv4tmP

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) May 8, 2021

A full scorecard is available here. 

Sussex are back in 2nd XI Championship action this Monday against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.