SUSSEX v GLAMORGAN

Day 1

Evening Report

Sussex had reached 80-5 for tea with their sixth wicket pairing of Travis Head and sixteen year-old Danial Ibrahim looking to consolidate, with Timm van der Gugten and Michael Hogan resuming the bowling duties as the floodlights were switched back on at the Eaton Road ground. Head nurdled van der Gugten to third man for four but, with the total on 96, he departed l.b.w. to a delivery which jagged back in to the Australian as Head shouldered arms to the Dutchman.

Having been joined by Will Beer, Ibrahim clipped James Weighell to the boards at square-leg before pulling and on-driving Dan Douthwaite for further fours. Beer also found the ropes as he late cut Andrew Salter when the off-spinner entered the attack as conditions became quite gloomy. The light was sufficient though for Hogan to return for another spell, but the Sussex batsmen remained resolute and looked like seeing their team through to the close without further loss. But Hogan struck with the last ball of the day as Beer fended off a short ball to leg-gully where Joe Cooke completed a diving catch.

Afternoon update

After their inspection at 12.45pm, the umpires decided that play would start at 2.15pm with 63 overs remaining in the day, with tea being taken at 4.15pm.

Glamorgan lost the toss with Sussex opting to bat, but around 2pm another shower broke over the ground causing a further delay of ten minutes and the loss of another three overs. As well as Colin Ingram returning to the team, Timm van der Gugten also plays having missed the victory over Lancashire in the first week of June at Sophia Gardens. The Glamorgan side in full is: JM Cooke, DL Lloyd, CA Ingram, WT Root, KS Carlson, CB Cooke (capt and wkt), DA Douthwaite, WJ Weighell, AG Salter, T van der Gugten and MG Hogan.

When play began at 2.25pm under cloudy skies and in humid conditions, Michael Hogan and Timm van der Gugten shared the new ball with Alistair Orr and Aaron Thomason opening the batting. The latter appeared to still be in T20 mode as he clobbered his first delivery through extra-cover for four before failing to connect with another expansive drive in the second over. But two balls later he got a thick outside edge and Chris Cooke completed a fine catch diving low to his left. 

After one ball of the next over, there was another shower causing the loss of a further two overs whilst the floodlights were also turned on when the players returned to the middle. Stiaan van Zyl announced his arrival by cover-driving Hogan but was beaten outside off stump by a pair of wicked deliveries in the seamer’s next over before being clean bowled as Sussex lost their second wicket with their total on 13. Travis Head began with a pair of confident clips off his legs, with the latter going for four against Hogan before another stoppage for rain with Sussex on 23-2 from 11.3 overs.

Another three overs were lost from the daily allocation, and three balls later, Sussex lost their third wicket of the day as Orr was trapped l.b.w. by van der Gugten. Head then greeted the introduction of James Weighell at the Sea End by clipping him for four to square-leg before punching van der Gugten through point for a second boundary. But Weighell struck in his second over as debutant Oli Carter was also adjudged leg before as Sussex slipped further to 34-4 as the skies started to clear.

Ben Brown responded by off-driving an over-pitched delivery from Weighell to the boundary boards before pulling a short ball to square-leg. Head also swatted a pair of short balls from Dan Douthwaite through backward point before Brown did the same to Weighell. Head also cover drove Douthwaite for four before Brown square-drove Lloyd followed by a swat through point against Douthwaite. But the latter had the last laugh as Brown edged the next delivery into Cooke’s gloves as Sussex went to tea on 80-5.

Morning update

After a month of white-ball cricket, Glamorgan’s cricketers return to action in the LV=Insurance County Championship although for Colin Ingram this is set to be his first game of red-ball cricket since September 2017 when he played for the Welsh county against Gloucestershire at Sophia Gardens.

The left-hander has been included in the Welsh county’s squad because Marnus Labuschagne, like Michael Neser, is still isolating on medical grounds following Nick Selman testing positive for COVID-19. However, weather conditions on the South Coast have prevented a prompt start to proceedings with the umpires – Russell Warren and Ben Debenham – deciding after an inspection at 1015 that there would be no play before lunch, with lunch at the normal time of 1300 and an inspection at 1245 to assess the conditions.

Glamorgan were 205-9 when bad light ended play after 63 overs on the second day of their LV=Insurance County Championship against Sussex at Hove having earlier dismissed the home side for 226.

Close of Play Report

Glamorgan had reached 146-5 with a restrained Dan Douthwaite and a watchful Chris Cooke eager to further extend their sixth wicket stand as the spin combination of Will Beer and Jack Carson. But in the third over of the session, Douthwaite drove at Beer and edged the leg-spinner to Oli Carter at first slip. James Weighell duly joined his captain and off-drove Beer for four. Cooke continued to accumulate in singles as Weighell lofted Carson to long-on for another muscular four.

With the Hove floodlights having been turned on, Weighell pulled Carson for six whilst Cooke continued to chisel away at the deficit with some deftly placed singles but the game continued to ebb and flow as on 29 Cooke edged a ball from Carson into the hands of Thomason at short-leg. 187-7 immediately became 187-8 as Beer bowled Weighell, before one run later Timm van Gugten lofted a drive against Carson into the hands of Stuart Meaker at deep mid-wicket.

Some quixotic drives by Hogan and clever nudges by Andrew Salter saw Glamorgan closer and closer to a batting point before a single into the covers by Hogan took the Welsh county to 200 as steady drizzle started to fall. Hogan was also dropped by Carter at slip as he edged a drive against Carson before the rain got heavier and, with the light having deteriorated, the players left the field after 63 overs with Glmaorgan on 205-9.

Afternoon Report

With their team having reached 48-2 at lunch, David Lloyd and Billy Root were looking to further whittle away at the deficit with the former pulling both Mitch Claydon and Stuart Meaker for four whilst the latter cover drove Meaker. Lloyd also on-drove Ibrahim in the teenager’s opening over but shortly afterwards the opener was bowled by Meaker.

82-3 saw the arrival of Kiran Carlson who was nearly caught at cover as he drove a ball against Ibrahim. A pair of more assured cover drives followed soon afterwards against Claydon before Root did the same against Ibrahim. But Claydon claimed another scalp as Carlson edged into the slips where Aaron Thomason completed an acrobatic catch. Chris Cooke duly made his way to the middle with his side on 111-4 with the visiting captain leg-glancing Clayden for four. But with the total on 117, Root was trapped l.b.w. by Stiaan van Zyl’s gentle medium-pace

Dan Douthwaite joined Cooke and, in contrast to his six-hitting salvo against the Sharks last Friday at Cardiff, he watchfully accumulated in one’s and two’s before plundering boundaries to mid-wicket and extra-cover off successive balls from Meaker.

Lunchtime Report

Last Friday at Cardiff, it was a sixteen year-old leg-spinner who thwarted Glamorgan’s run chase as Archie Lenham claimed four wickets during the Sussex victory. Yesterday, it was another player a few months away from his seventeenth birthday who frustrated Glamorgan as Danial Ibrahim shared a stand of 65 with Will Beer to rescue Sussex from the depths of 96-6.

Although Beer departed to the final ball last night, the young batsman was hoping to continue the fightback, but in the second over of the morning he lost his new partner Jack Carson as the batsman edged a ball from Michael Hogan onto his stumps. Stuart Meaker met with more success, flaying both Hogan and van der Gugten through the covers for four. Ibrahim also survived a sharp chance at second slip as he edged Hogan before completing his second half-century in the competition by clipping the Australian, who is 24 years his elder, to the ropes at mid-wicket.

Meaker also had a moment of good fortune as an outside edge against van der Gugten bisected second and third slip. The batsman celebrated with a drive through point next ball but shortly afterwards he hoiked Andrew Salter to mid-wicket where van der Gugten completed the catch with the total on 194-9.

Mitch Claydon saw Sussex to a batting point by cover-driving Dan Douthwaite before swatting him to long-on and long-off. The veteran bowler also swept Salter for six, but the off-spinner ended the innings as Ibrahim jaywalked down the wicket and was stumped for 58. Glamorgan had forty minutes of batting before lunch with David Lloyd swatting a no-ball from Claydon through point before Joe Cooke clipped Meaker to fine-leg for four.

However, in Meaker’s next over Cooke departed l.b.w. with his departure on 15-1 heralding the arrival of Colin Ingram for his first Championship innings since September 2017. He began with an assertive straight-drive for four against Meaker but after miscuing a similar blow against Claydon he feathered a rising delivery into Ben Brown’s gloves. 28-2 saw Billy Root join Lloyd with the new batsman starting with a pair of clips to square-leg.

Sussex are 111-4 at the end of the third day of their rain-affected contest in the LV=Insurance County Championship against Glamorgan, with the home side, who earlier dismissed the visitors for 215, leading by 122 runs.

Evening Update

Play eventually began at 4pm with 40 overs remaining as Stuart Meaker resumed the bowling to Glamorgan’s last pair of Andrew Salter and Michael Hogan. Salter square-cut and pulled Meaker for a pair of fours before Hogan was bowled advancing down the wicket to Jack Carson. This gave Sussex a slender first innings lead of 11 runs, with Hogan swiftly back in the action bowling to Alistair Orr and Aaron Thomason. Orr began with a pair of cover drives against Timm van der Gugten, but the Dutchman removed Thomason in his fourth over as the opener feathered a ball into Chris Cooke’s gloves.

10-1 immediately became 10-2 as Stiaan van Zyl was trapped l.b.w. by a delivery from van der Gugten which jagged back in, before Travis Head survived the hat-trick ball. Two overs later Head sparred at a short ball from van der Gugten and was nearly caught in the gully by Salter, with Orr also nearly chopping a ball from Hogan onto his stumps before off-driving the veteran seamer. However, Hogan made the perfect riposte as he found the edge of Head’s bat with Joe Cooke at third slip completing a regulation catch.

Having been joined by Oli Carter, Orr edged van der Gugten through the slip cordon before clipping James Weighell to the vacant third man for four. Carter then pulled Weighell for six and four, before Orr cover drove the former Durham bowler for another boundary. But their counter-attack came to an end as Carter chipped a ball back into Andrew Salter’s hands in the off-spinner’s fourth over.

62-4 saw the arrival of Ben Brown whose tenure nearly ended after his first ball as he gloved a ball from Dan Douthwaite which just evaded the outstretched gloves of Chris Cooke. Orr edged Douthwaite both into and over the slip cordon, with the very sharp chance at second slip being spilled much to the chagrin of the bowler and fielder. He celebrated his good fortune with a firm cut against Salter as well as a leg glance against Douthwaite en route to his second Championship half-century. Brown also square-drove Salter before van der Gugten returned for a closing salvo and nearly bowled the Sussex captain who inside-edged an expansive drive

Afternoon update

A series of inspections took place during the afternoon, with a shower after lunch adding to the delays. After an inspection at 3pm, the umpires decided that tea would be taken at 3.40pm and that play would start at 4pm with 40 overs remaining in the day's quota.

Morning update

Torrential rain fell in the Sussex area overnight after play had also been halted last night around 5.30pm by a combination of bad light and steady drizzle. The interruption had come at an intriguing time as the game had ebbed and flowed like the breakers a mile on so down the road on the seafront, with Glamorgan having slipped from 157-5 to 188-9 following Sussex’s switch to an all-spin attack. Andrew Salter and Michael Hogan saw Glamorgan to a batting bonus point, with the visitors still trailing by 21 runs when the cessation came.

After an inspection by the umpires – Russell Warren and Ben Debenham – it was decided that no play would be possible lunch.

Glamorgan drew their rain-affected contest with Sussex at Hove in the LV=Insurance County Championship with the Welsh county ending the day on 154-5 after being set a target of 275 from a minimum of 51 overs.

Evening update

Glamorgan began the final session on 33-1, still requiring 242 from 39 overs, with Colin Ingram and Joe Cooke playing watchfully against the spinners Jack Carson and Will Beer who each had a gaggle of close catchers as the ball started to turn quite sharply. Cooke cover-drove Beer for four before Ingram swept Carson for six and through a glass window of a hospitality box. Ingram also square-cut and cover-drove Beer for a pair of fours, but in the 21^st over he was caught at short-leg as he propped forward to Carson.

63-2 saw Billy Root join Cooke, and he began with a sweep for three, plus a lofted drive for six against a full toss from Carson. But the off-spinner responded in his next over by having Root caught at slip as Kiran Carlson arrived in the middle with Glamorgan on 79-3 and shortly afterwards was lucky to survive a stumping chance as he danced down the wicket to Carson. Cooke remained in resolute mode but on 19 he fell to another smart catch at short-leg by Aaron Thomason as Beer claimed his first wicket of the innings.

With Chris Cooke having jarred a thumb, Andrew Salter become Carlson’s new partner with the total on 95-4, with Carlson cover-driving Carson for four having earlier in the over surviving a loud appeal for a catch at short-leg. Carlson unfurled another pair of silky cover drives against the off-spinner before Salter pulled and swept Carson for two boundaries, followed by a punched off-drive to the ropes at extra-cover against Beer.

But with the total on 131, and 64 balls remaining, Carlson was caught at leg-slip by Travis Head as he swept Carson. Dan Douthwaite made his way to the middle and began with a glance to fine-leg against the off-spinner before defending stoutly.

Travis Head also had a couple of overs of off-spin with Douthwaite opening his shoulders by plonking the Australian for six over the advertising boards at mid-wicket before the two teams fist-bumped with four balls remaining as the match ended in a draw. The result means that Glamorgan are set to play in the Division Two games at the end of the season, with Yorkshire and Lancashire qualifying for the Division One games starting at the end of August, whilst Sussex face the prospect of playing in Division Three.

Afternoon Update

Sussex were leading by 194 runs at lunch, with 67 overs remaining in the contest when play resumed with Ben Brown and Danial Ibrahim looking to extend their team’s advantage. Michael Hogan and Timm van der Gugten resumed the bowling duties with both being on-driven by Ibrahim for four before being trapped leg before attempting an ambitious legside blow against the latter. Will Beer joined his captain who punched van der Gugten through mid-wicket for four besides scampering a series of singles with his new partner who also drilled Hogan to long-on for three.

Brown also reverse-swept Andrew Salter for four before Beer clubbed van der Gugten to mid-wicket. Brown also pulled the Dutchman for a pair of sixes as he completed his century from 134 balls before declaring with Sussex on 263-6 and leaving Glamorgan a target of 275 to win from the remaining 51 overs.

David Lloyd and Joe Cooke began the Welsh county’s innings with the former finding the ropes in the second over as he clipped Stuart Meaker to fine-leg. Two overs later he also clipped a full toss from the seamer over square-leg for six but in the eighth over he edged a delivery from Meaker into the slip cordon with Aaron Thomason completing the regulation catch. His departure saw Colin Ingram make his way to the middle and he opened his account with a four through backward point against Meaker before the spinners, Jack Carson and Will Beer, bowled in tandem before the interval.

Morning Update

It was 1st August 1975 when Glamorgan last won a County Championship match at Hove – a date on which Olivia Newton-John was vying with the Bee Gees for top spot in the pop charts, and when England, led by Sussex’s Tony Greig, were playing a Test Match at Lord’s against an Australian side led by Ian Chappell and featuring the fearsome new ball pairing of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson.

46 years later, the Welsh county go into the final day of this contest, with Sussex leading by 122 runs and with six second innings wickets remaining, following a probing new spell yesterday by Glamorgan’s Michael Hogan and Timm van der Gugten. The duo were eager to get back into action this morning and to snuff out Sussex’s resistance on a pitch that was also showing signs of assisting the spin bowlers and on an overcast morning which saw the Hove floodlights in action from the outset.

Alistair Orr struck the day’s first boundary although it was from an inside edge against van der Gugten, before adding a second in more orthodox fashion backward of square against the Dutchman plus a firmly struck off-drive to the next delivery. Andrew Salter then returned to the attack after forty minutes with Ben Brown sweeping the off-spinner to take the Sussex lead past the 150-mark.

Having seen off the frontline seamers, the fifth wicket pair then became more expansive in their shot selection against Salter and David Lloyd who had a trundle at the Sea End. It was the latter who made the breakthrough immediately after the century stand had come up as the North Walian trapped the opener l.b.w. for 80. 162-5 heralded the arrival of Danial Ibrahim with the sixteen year-old starting with a series of singles as Salter and Lloyd kept things tight and prevented Sussex’s new pairing from going on the offensive.

Brown duly completed his half-century from 81 balls before van der Gugten returned at the Sea End with Michael Hogan switching to the Cromwell Road End shortly before lunch.