Yorkshire vs Sussex: Day Four

Yorkshire vs Sussex: Day Four Match Report

Yorkshire dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s on a four-wicket Vitality County Championship victory over Division Two pacesetters Sussex at Scarborough during the fourth morning to boost their hopes of promotion. 

Resuming on 28 for two from 10 overs in pursuit of 103, the home side clinched a 21-point haul in exactly an hour’s play despite losing four wickets to off-spinner Jack Carson.

Opener Adam Lyth top-scored with 40 as Yorkshire claimed their third successive Championship victory dating back to June, consigning the league leaders to only a second defeat in 10 matches this season. Excellent Carson claimed his four consolatory wickets to finish with a career best nine for 120 in the match. 

Yorkshire, in third, started this fixture 27 points behind Sussex but are now only nine adrift with four rounds remaining.   

The White Rose county have won three Championship matches in a row for the first time since the early stages of 2021 when they beat Kent and Sussex away and Northamptonshire at Headingley.

Upon clinching victory, Yorkshire moved to second in the in-play Division Two table and would remain there later today should Middlesex fail to beat Northamptonshire at Merchant Taylors’ School.

Yorkshire and Middlesex face each other at Headingley from Thursday. Sussex, meanwhile, host Derbyshire at Hove next as they look to bounce back from a first defeat since May. 

Lyth set the tone in the day’s third over when he took back-to-back boundaries off Jaydev Unadkat’s left-arm seam - one flicked to fine-leg and the other cut through backward point. 

He then pulled Carson over midwicket and cut Ollie Robinson over backward point for sixes in the following two overs, taking the score to 59 for two. The writing was on the wall for Sussex.

Although Lyth led the way, he was importantly helped out by nightwatchman Dan Moriarty, who contributed 17 to a third-wicket partnership of 51. 

They came together at 18 for two late on day three and extinguished Sussex’s slim hopes of a turnaround.

Moriarty, Yorkshire’s regular number 11, was lbw to Carson - 69 for three -   before the same bowler had Lyth caught behind down leg at the second attempt by Simpson with a further seven runs added to the total. 

Carson also trapped James Wharton lbw to bring Jonny Bairstow to the crease with only eight to win, and he holed out to deep midwicket for a two-ball duck. 

Captain Jonny Tattersall hit the winning runs.

Report Provided by ECB Reporters' Network

Reaction from skipper, John Simpson, after defeat at Scarborough