Match Report

Sussex fight back with the ball on day one against Kent

11 Jul 2021

Sussex reduced a new-look Kent side to 69 for five on Day One of their LV= Insurance County Championship match at Canterbury, leaving them 112 behind.

Jamie Atkins took three for 21 and Ollie Robinson two for 21, as we fought back with the ball after being bowled out for 181 earlier in the day. Kent debutant Jas Singh took four for 51 and Harry Podmore three for 49, while James Coles was Sussex’s top scorer with 36.

Singh was only selected after a positive PCR test forced 14 members of Kent’s first-team squad into isolation.

Kent’s preparations were thrown into chaos when an unidentified member of their Vitality Blast side tested positive for COVID. As such, Heino Kuhn was named captain of an improvised eleven that included five debutants: Singh, Joe Gordon, Harry Finch, Dan Lincoln and Harry Houillon.

The start was delayed until noon to allow Kent to register their new players, after which they won the toss and choose to bowl.

Openers Ali Orr and Tom Haines made 50 without loss, but both were dismissed just before lunch, the former caught brilliantly by O’Riordan for 21. Gilchrist trapped Harrison Ward for four and Travis Head then drove Singh to Kuhn for 12. Singh claimed his fourth wicket when he had Oliver Carter caught behind for 32, making him Houillon’s maiden first-class victim. Qadri got Coles LBW with his first ball, Gilchrist had Ibrahim caught behind for six and Podmore swept away the tail, getting Ollie Robinson caught behind for 21 before trapping Sean Hunt LBW and bowling Jamie Atkins, both for nought.

Sussex then fought back brilliantly with the ball as Gordon was trapped LBW to Robinson for eight, before Atkins had O’Riordan LBW for 18. The latter then went on the charge and bowled Kuhn for eight, followed by Lincoln for nought. Robinson had Houillon LBW without scoring before bad light stopped play at 18:50, with Finch 24 not out and Podmore unbeaten on three.