Sussex vs Durham: Day 1 match report

Sussex’s bowlers fought back to take six wickets in the final session of a rain delayed match on the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship against Durham at The 1st Central County Ground.

After play finally began at 1:30pm, Michael Jones (87) and Alex Lees (79) laid the foundations with 142 for the first wicket before Nathan McAndrew led the fight back, taking three wickets on his Sussex debut.

Sussex left-armer George Garton, in his first Championship appearance since last May, found a gap between bat and pad to bowl Lees for 79 in the 29th over to break the opening partnership.

McKinney (35) was dismissed next, foxed by Crocombe’s slower ball which he drove to mid-off and Durham lost their third wicket when David Bedingham was beaten by a lovely away-swinger from Australian Nathan McAndrew.

Jones had provided the ballast in the innings until he mis-timed a pull off Crocombe and spliced a catch to Jack Carson, running round from mid-wicket, having hit 14 fours in a shade under four hours.

Sussex tails were up, but Robinson and Graham Clark counter-attacked with some eye-catching blows.

Off-spinner Jack Carson was then brought into the attack by captain Pujara, offering control before breaking the stand with a low return catch off Robinson’s firmly struck on drive.

No one epitomised Durham’s approach more than Clark, who hit six sixes in his 47 before McAndrew, Sussex’s most effective seamer, returned down the slope and found enough late inswing to pin him lbw and then had Jonathan Bushnell caught on the boundary to claim his third wicket.

Although Sussex will feel they conceded too many runs in the opening session, they will be delighted with the response, dragging themselves back into the match to leave the game finely balanced heading in to day two.