Sunday 24 May 2015 20:28, UK
Fifteen wickets fell on the first day at Hove as the LV= County Championship Division One clash between Sussex and Warwickshire got off to a very entertaining start.
Ollie Robinson took 6-33 as visitors Warwickshire were dismissed for 180, having decided to bat first, but Jeetan Patel then claimed three wickets to reduce Sussex to 140-5.
They were career-best first-class figures for Robinson, as he continued his impressive start to life on the south coast with another strong performance.
Warwickshire were bowled out for 180 after choosing to bat first with Robinson taking the first six wickets to fall and eventually conceding just 33 runs for his efforts.
But it needed an equally commendable contribution from team-mate Luke Wells to keep the home side in a promising position at Hove.
Wells passed 50 for the first time this season as the hosts reached 140 for five by close of the first day of this tussle, 40 runs behind. His undefeated 73 at the top of the innings was invaluable on a day when no other batsman got past 35.
At Taunton, Jack Leaning made a fine 123 as Yorkshire finished day one on 343-8 against Somerset after being put into bat.
Jonny Bairstow (50) and Tim Bresnan (54 not out) also made valuable contributions for the visitors while Peter Trego took 3-46 for Somerset.
The 21-year-old Leaning came to the crease after a 55-run over opening stand between Lees and Will Rhodes (28) came to an end when Lees played across the line to Trego and was lbw for 34.
And Leaning went on to compile his second century of the season, hitting 18 fours in his 243-ball stay before he was bowled by Trego in the penultimate over of the day.
After Rhodes (28) was excellently caught by a diving Tom Cooper at leg gully off Jamie Overton and captain Andrew Gale went for 22, Bairstow helped to add 93 for the fourth wicket.
His fluent 59-ball innings ended when he was caught at slip by Marcus Trescothick off Craig Overton and big-hitting Aussie Glenn Maxwell then fell for a second-ball duck, caught at cover by Tom Abell to leave Yorkshire 211-5.
Adil Rashid then went for nine but Bresnan gave Leaning excellent support in a seventh-wicket stand that produced 117 runs, and the England man also hit the only six of the day, clipping Craig Overton over square leg to bring up the 300.
The ball hit a male spectator on the forehead and he was taken to hospital for a precautionary check-up.
Leaning said: "We're full of confidence at the moment and I feel we might just have nicked the better of the day's play.
"It's always nice to get a hundred but it was a bit of a shame we lost two wickets at the end."
At New Road, Tom Fell made 78 and Ben Cox weighed in with 67 for Worcestershire, who were all out for 323 against Durham.
Seamers Paul Coughlin (4-70) and Chris Rushworth (3-69) shared seven wickets for Durham, who opted to field first and had reached 14-0 in reply at stumps.
Rushworth joined Middlesex’s James Harris as the leading wicket-taker in Division One and got the visitors off to a great start by bowling Daryl Mitchell with the second ball of the match.
But the 21-year-old Fell and Richard Oliver took seven boundaries in Rushworth's six-over opening spell and the second wicket partnership was worth 64 when Oliver was bowled for 36, shaping to play Graham Onions (2-71) through midwicket.
Alex Gidman (12) then fell lbw to Rushworth after lunch and it was 88-3 but Alexei Kervezee put on 72 with Fell until they were dismissed by successive deliveries.
Kervezee (21) chased a ball from Coughlin, edging to Michael Richardson, who had replaced Phil Mustard behind the wicket, and Fell was caught at second slip to give Rushworth his 32nd championship wicket of the season.
However, another exciting Worcestershire prospect then took charge, Cox counter-attacking with 67 from 73 balls, the fifth successive first-class score of 40 or more by the wicket-keeper.
Joe Leach chipped in with 24, Sri Lanka spin bowler Sachithra Senanayake (16) helped Cox put on 50 in eight overs, and Jack Shantry (23) played his part in a 45-run ninth-wicket stand with Cox, who then became the last man out, well caught by Richardson off Coughlin.
Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes said: "Bowling conditions were very helpful and to get the total we have, we are delighted, and I think Durham will be disappointed.
"The two young players played very well. Tom Fell's biggest asset is his composure. He is relaxed under pressure.
"Losing two wickets in two balls was a blow but Ben Cox did his job in seeing it through until he was last out.”
