Sussex vs Surrey | Pre-Season Friendly: Match Report (Day One)

As the sun sunk over Hove Sussex’s late surge with the bat brought this pre-season friendly into the balance on the first day of this pre-season friendly with Surrey. 

It all started rather well, too: Dom Sibley’s off-stump sent cartwheeling off the bowling of Henry Crocombe. It was a leave that the former England opener won’t be in a rush to re-visit, though for the pocket of supporters whose long-awaited return to Hove finally arrived, it was the perfect welcome back.

Ollie Robinson was tossed the ball from an early stage and he was economical throughout. There is something just so pure and effortless about the way he bowls. He’d finish the day with strong figures, though went without taking a wicket. That’s fine, for Danny Lamb collected the wickets of Rory Burns and Ryan Patel. Perhaps both got out to shots that won’t be seen in a week’s time, though they still arrived at a crucial time here.

At 62-3 Surrey were flagging. It had been a relentless opening hour with the ball in Sussex’s hands, yet the arrival of Dan Lawrence and Ben Foakes to the crease. The Sussex bowling cohort had impressed in their opening two warm-ups in neighbouring Hampshire and Kent, but this was to prove a tough test against some of the finest batters this country has to offer. Here, it was all Lawrence and Ben. At the sun’s peak these two were glorious to watch: patient, yet ruthless.

A 201-run partnership ended only by Lawrence’s retirement. Foakes would soon follow him, both recording fine centuries without losing their wicket. James Coles may have been expensive in his short five-over spell – the fledgling Ollie Sykes blasting a mesmeric 32 from his final over – though he did take the scalp of Matthew Fisher before he could properly move through the gears. 

At the brief pause Surrey’s 60 overs had accumulated 358 runs for the loss of four wickets. A period that just seemed to slip away from the host’s bowling attack. Sean Hunt, Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Tom Clark all had prolonged periods with the leather in hand, though they were powerless to pressure placed on them by Surrey’s middle order.

And so, the switch around. 30 overs for Sussex to face in the final period of the day, and it went about as well as it possibly could have. Tom Haines came striding down the steps alongside Oli Carter, and both would stay for the duration. A quiet start it was, Joe Worral was typically metronomical: six overs spurning six runs. There were no wickets to be had out there, as the opening combination just got better as the afternoon progressed. Haines was at his best here, confidently swiping Nathan Barnwell and Fisher to all corners of Hove.

10 minutes prior to 6pm and Sussex had reached 100: Haines holding his bat just a bit higher than his partner in Carter having clinched his 50 from 65 deliveries. They’d carry on to 115/0 at the close of play, with those that remained the duration perfectly satisfied with what they had just seen. Cricket is officially back, and it’s here to stay.