Sussex v Somerset - Day One Report

Sussex vs Somerset Day One Match Report

A late burst of wickets from support bowler Fynn Hudson-Prentice gave Sussex an unlikely advantage over Somerset at Hove. 

Somerset had already lost Archie Vaughan, well caught by James Coles at third slip off Jayden Seals, when Hudson- Prentice replaced Sean Hunt at the Cromwell Road end and promptly took four wickets – including two with his first two deliveries - to leave Somerset reeling at 62 for five at the close.

Hudson-Prentice struck first ball when he had Sean Dickson caught, again by Coles.  And with his next ball the bowler had Tom Abell lbw.  Hudson-Prentice struck again in his next over when he had Tom Banton caught behind.  And finally he had Josh Davey lbw to give himself figures of four for 13 in four remarkable overs.

Somerset had taken seven Sussex wickets in the afternoon session to take control of the first meeting between these two sides in  the county championship for ten years.

Sussex lost six wickets for 53 runs in just 17 overs overs, subsiding from 127 for one to 180 for seven.  But then a recovery – led almost inevitably by John Simpson - guided the home side to a total of 294 and a single batting point. And Sussex were ahead in the match by the end 

The Somerset bowlers would have settled for the Sussex total at lunch, when the home side were 122 for one.  But having dominated proceeding between lunch and tea they might have hoped for something much better.  As it was, a stand of 53 between Simpson (47) and Jack Carson (30), who hit four fours and a straight six off Jack Leach, and a last wicket partnership of 52 between Sean Hunt (33) and Jayden Seals (21 not out) guided Sussex to a respectable total. 

Daniel Hughes and Tom Clark were the joint top-scorers, with 49 apiece, while the most successful Somerset bowler was their captain Lewis Gregory, with figures of 4-90, though he took some punishment from Hunt when he returned at the sea end at the end of the innings.

Each side went into their second match of the season after a run-drenched draw. Sussex chose to bat first, perhaps encouraged by the news that Somerset’s key overseas signing, Matt Henry, was still in New Zealand, and also by their opponents’ decision to rest Craig Overton ahead of key matches against Hampshire Surrey and Essex.

But opening bowler Davey and Lewis Gregory still posed problems on a  pitch which still offered plenty of bounce and generous seam movement, and Sussex – also without important fast bowlers Ollie Robinson and Henry Crocombe, through injury - were fortunate to lose only one wicket before lunch. 

The one wicket to fall was that of Tom Haines, who was bowled through the gate by Gregory after striking three fours in his 14.

But it all changed after the break. Clark edged Migael Pretorius behind without addition.  Then Tom Alsop, out first ball in his first innings at Edgbaston last week, managed just one better before he was caught low down by Kasey Aldridge at second slip.  When Hughes was then lbw to Pretorius Sussex had lost three wickets in ten balls. 

Coles made just one, before he was caught behind of Gregory to make it 142-5 before a stand of 38 between Simpson and Hudson-Prentice led to a Sussex revival.  But Hudson-Prentice’s best part was yet to come.

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