106 by Ed Joyce helped Sussex reach 227/3 at the close of the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Hove against Glamorgan
Close of Play Report
Sussex resumed on 136/1 after tea with Owen Morgan continuing his impressive spell of left-arm spin at the Cromwell Road End with Craig Meschede’s seam at the Sea End. Luke Wells clipped the latter to the ropes at mid-wicket and just out of the grasp of Jack Murphy who was fielding as substitute for Jacques Rudolph who was still off the field with a hand injury. Shaun Tait was also pressed into action with Michael Hogan still recovering from being struck on the helmet during the morning session.
Joyce then advanced down the track to Morgan and drilled him straight for four – the first authentic boundary the 22 year-old had conceded in fifteen overs – before the Irishman completed his hundred from 165 balls by flicking Meschede to fine-leg. Van der Gugten duly replaced Morgan at the Cromwell Road End and was also clipped to long leg for four by Wells, but the change heralded the end of Joyce’s stay at the crease as he chopped the Dutchman onto his stumps.
176/2 saw Ross Taylor join Wells and the Kiwi began by flicking van der Gugten to fine leg, but next over he became Graham Wagg’s 400th first-class wicket as the gleeful left-armer trapped him leg before. 181/3 nearly became 185/3 as Luke Wright drove Wagg in the air just past the outstretched hands of Tait. Luke Wells played a more convincing cover drive against Wagg before Wright did the same to van der Gugten as Sussex secured their first batting point.
Wells then played a firm off-drive against Wagg before on-driving van der Gugten, with David Lloyd and Owen Morgan returning to the attack in the final half an hour, with the pair keeping things tight as the shadows lengthened across the ground, with Wagg - in spin mode - bowling the final over of the day
Teatime Report
With Michael Hogan still recovering from his blow on the head whilst batting, and unlikely to bowl for the rest of the day, Timm van der Gugten and Craig Meschede resumed the bowling duties with Ed Joyce cover driving both bowlers. David Lloyd also had a spell at the Cromwell Road End with Sussex reaching the 50-mark in the 18th over as Joyce clipped the all-rounder to fine-leg.
The obdurate Chris Nash then cover-drove Meschede for his first boundary before Graham Wagg returned to bowl at the Sea End and found the edge of Nash’s bat, with the ball just dropping short of second slip. Joyce completed his fifty from 68 balls by cover-driving Lloyd for four, followed next over by a deft cut through point. Lloyd though found the edge of Nash’s bat with the ball flying just wide of second slip and the outstretched hands of Aneurin Donald.
With Shaun Tait going off to change his boots, David Harrison became the third substitute to take to the field, before Owen Morgan had a spell at the Cromwell Road End. Joyce then pulled a long-hop from Wagg to the mid-wicket boards before Nash survived a sharp chance to first slip as Wagg found the outside edge. Morgan also found the edge of Joyce’s blade but the ball flew just out of the grasp of Will Bragg.
The opener celebrated his good fortune by greeting the return of van der Gugten with a coruscating drive for four through extra cover, before Nash drilled Craig Meschede in the same vicinity as Glamorgan opted for seam at the Sea End, whilst Morgan continued his parsimonious spell at the Cromwell Road End. The accuracy of the young spinner was duly rewarded shortly before tea as Nash edged an attempted cut into Wallace's gloves as he claimed his maiden Championship wicket.
Lunchtime Report
Whilst England were completing a 122-run victory over Sri Lanka in Cardiff, Glamorgan’s batsmen were laying the foundations of what they hoped would be a similarly emphatic result over Sussex at Hove with Jacques Rudolph, just like those who headed to the English Channel resort during the Georgian era, finding the sea-air very much to his liking.
With Chris Cooke resting with a back niggle, and Nick Selman promoted to from the 2nd XI after a decent run of scores, Rudolph dropped down to the number four spot and played his most successful and important innings of the summer. In phlegmatic fashion, he made an unbeaten 76 as he occupied the crease for three and three-quarter hours to see his side end the day in sight of a third batting point, besides closing in on what would be his 50th century in first-class cricket.
Stuart Whittingham and Steve Magoffin resumed the bowling with Rudolph steering both for a quartet of singles as he continued his watchful innings, but with the total on 296 he edged a delivery from Whittingham into Ben Brown’s gloves. With Timm van der Gugten as his new partner, Rudolph steered Whittingham through point for another single as the 300 – and third batting point - came up in the 103rd over.
Ajmal Shahzad then replaced Magoffin at the Sea End and was worked for a series of singles by the ninth wicket pair, but with the total on 309, Rudolph upper cut Whittingham to third man where Shahzad held a low catch, with the Glamorgan captain departing for 87. Michael Hogan then on-drove Shahzad for three before cover-driving and straight-driving the seamer for the day’s first boundaries.
This prompted the introduction of Will Beer into the attack, with the leg-spinner being struck straight for six by Hogan who was then struck on the grille of his helmet next over by a rising delivery from Whittingham with the blow leaving him dazed, and after treatment from the Glamorgan physio, he retired hurt as the innings came to an end.
As Rudolph had also been in the wars, it meant Mark Wallace led the side back into the field half an hour before lunch with Jack Murphy and Shaun Tait fielding as substitutes. Graham Wagg and van der Gugten shared the new ball with the former being square-cut and cover driven by Ed Joyce, as well as being nurdled for four through the gully. Shortly before lunch, Joyce flicked Wagg to square-leg for another four