Phil Salt follows seamers' good work with another century

Opener Phil Salt scored his second successive century to put Sussex in a good position on day one of their Specsavers County Championship match against Glamorgan at The 1st Central County Ground.

Having made 122 against Northamptonshire last week, Welsh-born Salt reached the fourth hundred of his career in the final over of the day when he collected his 12th boundary courtesy of a mis-field by Charlie Hemphrey at mid-off.

But two balls later Salt was caught behind cutting at Dan Douthwaite for 103, made off 105 balls with 12 fours and three sixes. Sussex were 208 for 5 at stumps, a lead of 22.

Sussex have struggled to get good starts this season but Salt, who was called into England’s T20 squad earlier this month, gave the innings a solid platform by putting on 85 with Luke Wells in 15 overs.

Wells (30) failed to control his hook shot when Douthwaite dug one in short then Glamorgan took three wickets in ten balls to reduce Sussex to 126 for 4. Australian leg-spinner Marnus Labuschagne picked up Harry Finch (31) and Stiaan van Zyl (0) with his first two deliveries as Finch missed a long hop and van Zyl was beaten by a googly. Timm van der Gugten then returned to the attack to bowl Laurie Evans (4) via an inside edge.

But Sussex skipper Ben Brown, who also made a century last week, and Salt took Sussex into the lead with a stand of 82 in 17 overs.

Salt wasn’t the only opener to prosper with Glamorgan’s Nick Selman carrying his bat for the second time in his career. The 23-year-old was left unbeaten on 79 when Glamorgan, who have only won once in the Championship at Hove since 1975, were dismissed for 186 in 55.2 overs.

Sussex’s seamers dominated apart from a period either side of lunch when Selman and Graham Wagg added 72 in 22 overs for the seventh wicket. Wagg contributed 44 before he was caught behind to give Chris Jordan, who regularly got the ball to bounce disconcertingly off a good length, his third success.

⏯️ Four wickets so far this morning!

📺 Watch every ball for FREE: https://t.co/BubdJuaj35 pic.twitter.com/4AtrfBomce

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) May 27, 2019

Jared Warner, who was making his first-class debut after joining on loan from Yorkshire, polished off the tail to finish with 3 for 35 leaving Selman, who passed 2,000 first-class runs when he reached six, high and dry on 76 not out from 156 balls with 11 fours.

Glamorgan had won the toss but were soon struggling at 44 for 4 after Mir Hamza and David Wiese took two wickets each with the ball. Hamza’s late movement was too good for Hemphrey (0) and David Lloyd (6) while Wiese found some extra bounce to unseat Labuschagne (14) before angling one across Billy Root’s defences.

When Jordan replaced Wiese, he picked up Kieran Carlson (12) with his sixth delivery and Glamorgan were 102 for 6 when Douthwaite (6) was bowled via an inside edge. Wagg and Selman showed what was possible once the ball lost its initial hardness, but Salt ensured it was a tough day for the visitors. 

⏯️ A beauty from @CJordan... and at serious pace! #gosbts pic.twitter.com/IALH4yXqBa

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) May 27, 2019

Speaking at the close, Salt said: "I am really enjoying my cricket at the moment, especially getting these hundreds when the team has needed them although obviously I was gutted to get out right at the end of the day. 

"We had to do a bit of scrapping when we lost three wickets quite quickly but we've got ourselves a lead now and we have guys down our order who we know can contribute so we are in a good position to drive the game forward. Ben Brown is looking in really good touch so hopefully we can build a big lead tomorrow and build on the good work by the bowlers earlier in the day. 

🕰 Phil Salt departs on what turns out to be the last ball of an excellent day for him and the boys.

🧮 We finish the day 208 for 5, leading by 22.

⏯ 103 off 106 balls for Salty this afternoon; his 4th first-class 💯 pic.twitter.com/ZrsLBbU8Dy

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) May 27, 2019

"I've got four hundreds now and they have all been different in terms of what I've got from them but I did enjoy that one. I'm in a good rhythm with my batting at the moment, I'm keeping it simple and it is working well."