Sussex vs Hampshire | Day 2

Hampshire took a firm grip of their championship match against Sussex on the second day at Hove.  In a low-scoring game they took a first innings lead of 104 after Sussex were bowled out for 122, losing their last seven wickets for 79.

Hampshire then recovered from 89 for seven to 173 in their second knock, with James Fuller top-scoring with 49. That set Sussex 278 and at the close they had reached 37 for the loss of Daniel Hughes.  Eighteen wickets fell in the day, after 13 had gone down in the first.  The losing team here will take just three points, and could be dragged into the relegation argument, but rain is forecast for the second half of the match.

Sussex resumed on a precarious 42 for three and were almost immediately in deeper trouble.  With the third ball of the morning night watchman Sean Hunt was trapped in front of his stumps by Abbott. 

It was 60 for five six overs later when  Hughes, only half-forward to a delivery from Abbott which nipped back off the seam, was also lbw.  Hughes had spent 87 balls compiling 21, as if to prove that even determined application was not enough to overcome the challenging pitch. Abbott’s opening spell was 5-2-4-2. Hampshire supporters are delighted that the 38-year-old has signed a one-year extension to his contract.

Tom Alsop and captain John Simpson added 31 for the sixth wicket in nine overs, slowly building hope in the Sussex supporters that their side could get somewhere near the Hampshire total.

But at 91 Simpson got an edge to one down the leg side from the slow left-armer Bjorn Fortuin and Ben Brown, moving alertly to his right, took a smart catch. Jack Carson  brought up the hundred in the 44th over when he swung Fortuin to leg for four. But he was bowled through the gate by a sharp nip-backer from Abbott; 104 for seven.

It didn’t get any better.  It was 115 for eight when Fynn Hudson-Prentice, playing back when he should have been forward, was bowled by Fortuin for seven.  Robinson made a premeditated slog-sweep to his first delivery and was lbw and the last wicket fell two overs later when Alsop, hitting out, was caught  at deep midwicket for 39.  So former Hampshire player Alsop had top-scored for Sussex just as former Sussex player Brown had made Hampshire’s best score the day before.

When Hampshire batted again Fletcha Middleton had his off stump plucked out by Jaydev Unadkat in the second over and two balls later Nick Gubbins, trying to avoid a delivery from the same bowler, only succeeded in playing on.  Robinson switched to the sea end and immediately uprooted Ali Orr’s off stump;  31 for three in the 12th.

James Coles came on and after five overs the spinner’s figures read 5-1-15-4.  Toby Albert was lbw, Tom Prest saw one turn past his bat and knock back his off-stump, Fortuin was caught down the leg side and Brown, after another vital innings of 30, scooped his attempted sweep up into the air.  But the tail, led by Fuller, wagged to put Hampshire on top.