Sussex vs Glamorgan: Day 1 match report

Steve Smith scored his maiden half-century for Sussex in the third and final match for the county before the Ashes series gets underway in four weeks. The key Australia batsman – who is making his solitary appearance at The 1st Central Ground, Hove - delighted a good crowd by scoring 68 not out as Sussex finished the opening day of their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Glamorgan on 221-4, a lead of 98.

Before this Smith had played just two innings for Sussex, making 30 at Worcester and three at Leicester.  Before the start of play Smith and the Sussex vice-captain Tom Alsop were handed their county caps by former captain Chris Adams.

Smith steadied the Sussex innings after the loss of three wickets in four overs, featuring in important stands with Tom Haines, who made 58, and James Coles (50 not out). Smith faced 126 deliveries and struck nine fours.

Earlier, England seamer Ollie Robinson had maintained his fine form with figures of 4-29 as Glamorgan, who had been put in, were bowled out for just 123 on a pitch offering some seam movement and occasional surprising bounce for the taller bowlers.

Both sides went into this match unbeaten, with one win in five. Sussex welcomed back Robinson, who had missed last week’s Leicestershire game after taking a career best 14 for 117 in the previous game against Worcestershire, and he dismissed Glamorgan’s the two Australia Test players Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser. Haines also returned, with Jack Carson coming in for Henry Crocombe.

Glamorgan were led by Kiran Carlson in the absence of hamstring victim David Lloyd and the county gave a first-class debut to Zain-ul-Hassan, who had played second eleven cricket for a number of counties.

Despite starting off against Robinson, ul-Hussain looked composed and in the event was the only Glamorgan top-order batsman to reach double figures, with the highest score (28 not out) coming from tail-ender James Harris.

After making a steady start, Glamorgan – without a win at Hove since 1975 - lost all their wickets for 99 runs in the space of 28 overs, with Ari Karvelas (3-30), in his second game of the season, the other main wicket-taker. Eddie Byrom added just one run before he fell to the same combination, surprised by extra bounce.

Then Robinson made his first strike when he had Labuschagne lbw for a three-ball single – it was his first delivery to the Australian.

Robinson’s impressive first spell was 6-3-10-1 and when he was replaced at Cromwell Road end Fynn Hudson-Prentice struck immediately when he had Sam Northeast comfortably caught at third slip; 31-3.

It was 41-4 when ul-Hassan was caught behind off the skiddy Haines and 63-5 when Billy Root, who had driven some exuberant boundaries, was bowled for a 17-ball 18, deciding to leave a ball from the same bowler. Carlson also decided to play no stroke when Robinson returned for a second spell and bowled him with his third ball.

Glamorgan can bat deep but there would be no recovery as the Sussex bowlers continued to bowl full and straight and they were all out in 37.4 overs.

Sussex replied aggressively, with Ali Orr and Haines putting on 76 before the former was bowled by Jamie McIlroy. Alsop followed in the next over, lbw to Neser, and Sussex had lost three wickets for seven runs when captain Cheteshwar Pujara was dismissed in the same way, his first championship duck for Sussex after three centuries this season.

But Smith and Haines added 48 for the fourth wicket before a stand of 90 between Smith and Coles put Sussex well ahead in the game.

Report provided by ECB Reporter's Network.