Sussex end the season unbeaten at Hove in Specsavers County Championship

Warwickshire won promotion from the Specsavers County Championship Division Two with our draw in the penultimate match of the season at Hove. Next week they play Kent in the title decider at Edgbaston  – Kent confirmed their elevation to Division One on Thursday. The two counties are level on points at the top of the table.

There was an end of term atmosphere on a gusty autumn afternoon. Sussex, appearing in front of their supporters for the last time this season, tried nine bowlers and three wicketkeepers.

Phil Salt and Michael Burgess trundled in for their first overs in first-class cricket while fast bowler Ollie Robinson put in a stint as an off-spinner.  Behind the stumps, Harry Finch replaced Michael Burgess, who had taken over from Ben Brown.

Warwickshire, though, refused to be distracted by the frivolity and Sibley and Sam Hain closed out the match with a third wicket stand worth 168.

Just a short while ago Sussex thought they might be celebrating.  They were in with a good chance of promotion themselves, before they were beaten by Durham in the previous round of matches, and they were defeated by Worcestershire in the final of the Vitality Blast T20 last Saturday.

Their one moment of jubilation on the last day of this match came when Salt had Hain caught behind for 90 and the whooping players surrounded the bowler to congratulate him on his first wicket.

The only worry Warwickshire had all day was when Ian Bell retired hurt after being struck on the right thumb by a rearing delivery from Robinson – in his more rapid mode - when he had made five. An X-ray revealed bad bruising but no break.

Warwickshire had resumed on 141 for no wicket, 238 runs ahead.  Will Rhodes had added 12 to his overnight 76 when, in the sixth over of the morning, he was lbw to Robinson. After Bell’s retirement, at 168, Warwickshire soon lost another important batsman when Jonathan Trott  fell to Chris Jordan’s third ball of the day, clipping a ball off his legs to Finch at midwicket for eight.

Warwickshire looked safe once they had reached lunch on 249 for two and in the afternoon session Sibley confirmed that his side would be playing in the upper tier next season. He reached his hundred from 220 deliveries, with nine fours, and at the end of the match he was unbeaten on 144.

Sussex head coach Jason Gillespie: “We’re moving in the right direction.  We’ve had a couple of losses in the past month but we feel some progress has been made. I wanted to give some young guys the opportunity to show what they can do and they’ve done that.  Now I’ve got to find the balance between giving lads games of cricket and earning the right to play first-class cricket. We’ve got to find the right balance between potential and performances. It’s a difficult balancing act but we’ll get there. And we’ve made some strides.  The lads have played the game the right way, been positive and looked to win games. I think we could have done better in the 50-over game.

“We had a bit of fun out there today. I thought Ben Brown handled it very well.  It was a slow pitch.  It didn’t provide the bounce and carry that I’d hoped for.”