Evening Report

Glamorgan were six runs away from their first batting point when play resumed after tea with Gill flicking Hunt to fine-leg for four to reach the 200-mark before up-cutting a no-ball from Ashraf over third man for six. Despite the floodlights being on, conditions became too gloomy and in the 42nd over, the umpires took the players off the field before calling off play for the day at 17.15pm.

Afternoon update

Glamorgan were 66-1 at lunch with David Lloyd, who came into this match needing 157 runs to reach a thousand for the first time in his career, unbeaten on 40. He was soon onto 52 as he nonchalantly pulled successive balls from Sean Hunt for six to complete a 49-ball fifty. Gill then flicked Fynn Hudson-Prentice for four to fine-leg before bisecting second and third slip with an outside edge against Hunt.

The Hove floodlights came on as a bank of heavy cloud descended from the South Downs as Glamorgan attempted to continue their race towards a full clutch of batting points with a single from Lloyd seeing his side to the 100-mark in the 20th over. Shubman Gill then square-drove Hunt for four, but later in the over Lloyd departed l.b.w. for 56. 106-2 saw Sam Northeast join Gill who again punched Hunt through backward point for four but the precipitation intensified and briefly forced the players off the field as a further four overs were lost.

Northeast square-drove Hudson-Prentice for four before Gill flicked Brad Currie for six over deep backwards square-leg. Northeast then clipped the left-armer to the same location for four before Gill flat-batted Dan Ibrahim to the boards at mid-wicket. But after 3.2 overs, the rains returned as the players left the field before returning 25 minutes later with another six overs lost. On the resumption Gill drilled Currie for four through the covers but to the last ball of the over, northeast edged the left-armer low to Tom Alsop at first slip.

Having been joined by Billy Root, Gill completed his fifty by straight-driving Currie for four – his 61st delivery – before playing another sublime drive to the boards at mid-wicket when Fynn Hudson-Prentice returned at the Sea End. The Indian then deftly glided Currie through backward point before Billy Root cover-drove Hudson-Prentice. In the final over before tea, Gill also drove Faheem Ashraf square of the wicket for four.

Lunchtime Update

It’s been quite a summer of Championship cricket for David Lloyd and his team – 52 days of red-ball action with only 22 hours of play being lost, the Club’s first-ever 400 being scored and the captain’s 313* last week helping to set up the sixth victory of the campaign – the most since 2010 the Welsh county won seven of their sixteen games. Now it is down to the last four days of the season on the South Coast as Glamorgan look, once again, to secure maximum points, defeat Sussex and depending on events at Worcester and Nottingham, clinch promotion into Division One (or even lift the Division Two title).

After overnight rain had delayed the start of play until 1130 and the loss of eight overs, Glamorgan won the toss and opted to bat with Shubman Gill returning in place of Tom Bevan. David Lloyd opened the batting with Eddie Byrom, with left-armer Brad Currie and Pakistan international Faheem Ashraf. The latter was struck for successive fours through the covers and mid-on by Lloyd before Byrom clipped him to the ropes at square-leg.

Byrom also on-drove Currie before Lloyd pulled Ashraf for a further boundary. Byrom then slashed the Pakistani through point for four before Lloyd had a life against Currie as Tom Clark dropped an edge at second slip. He celebrated by driving Tom Haines to the boards at mid-wicket as well as flicking him to fine-leg. Byrom then flicked Currie to fine-leg for four but next ball he spliced a rising delivery into the gloves of Charlie Tear.

49-1 saw the arrival of Gill who brought up the fifty before Lloyd greeted Fynn Hudson-Prentice by drilling him through mid-on for four.

Evening update

Glamorgan had reached 469-8 at tea when a further shower caused a further two overs to be lost when play belatedly resumed. With a declaration looming, Cooke harpooned Carson for six high over midwicket and into the flats adjoining the ground. He added a second maximum as he flicked Currie over fine-leg as the 500 came up in the 103rd over before scything Hunt for four through point. Patel then joined in the fun by lofting Carson for a pair of straight sixes plus a deft nurdle for four as he posted a 36-ball fifty.

Next over, Cooke edged Hunt into the wicket-keeper’s gloves and departed for 141 whereupon David Lloyd declared on 533-9. With Glamorgan having made 550-5 against Derbyshire at Cardiff, this was only the fourth time they had scored 500 or more in successive matches, and the first time since 2014 when they made 527 against Kent at Cardiff followed by 615-7 against Gloucestershire at Bristol.

There were 27 overs remaining as James Harris and Michael Hogan began the bowling to Ali Orr and Tom Haines, with Sussex needing 384 to avoid the follow-on. They duly made a breezy start with Orr straight-driving Hogan for a pair of fours as well as a couple of legside boundaries against Harris. Haines also cover-drove Harris for a trio of fours as the 50 came up in the seventh over. Hained cover-drove Harris but with the total on 69 Hogan removed Orr as the umpire upheld an appeal for leg before.

Tom Alsop joined Haines as Timm van der Gugten joined the attack and was struck for successive fours through the covers for four before Patel’s spin was introduced at the Sea End. But, as yesterday, the overhead conditions started to deteriorate even though the Hove floodlights were still on, and after fourteen overs, play was suspended for bad light.

Afternoon update

Having reached 346-6 at lunch, an immaculate cover-drive for four by James Harris against Dan Ibrahim saw Glamorgan to their fourth batting point. Together with Chris Cooke, Harris worked the ball around for a series of singles as the seventh wicket pair took their side closer and closer to a fifth and final batting point. Harris also cover-drove Carson for four before flicking the spinner to deep backward square-leg.

With Glamorgan on 376-6 after 80 overs Sussex took the new ball as Brad Currie returned to the fray in tandem with Sean Hunt, and was straight-driven for four by Cooke. Harris also drilled Hunt through extra-cover before edging Currie into the gloves of substitute wicket-keeper Ollie Carter. 392-7 saw Timm van der Gugten join Cooke with the Dutchman seeing Glamorgan to the 400-mark in the 86th over.

Cooke then flayed Hunt for four before another shower descended on Hove and the players left the field for the fifth time in the innings with the loss of a further six overs. When play resumed, Cooke cover drove Ashraf for four before flicking him to fine-leg but the Pakistan international then held a good running catch at fine-leg as van der Gugten skied a drive against Tom Clark.

With Ajaz Patel as his new partner, Cooke straight drove Clark for a single to reach 100 from 136 balls before Patel flicked Ashraf for four to fine-leg followed by a rustic pull to mid-wicket and a pull for six into the hospitality marquees

Morning Update

All teams batting first against Sussex this season have scored at least 210 in their first innings, and despite only 41.2 overs being possible yesterday, Glamorgan continued this trend as their batters overcame a series of interruptions to rain and bad light to reach 221-3 at the close of play with Shubman Gill on the cusp of a sublime century and unbeaten on 91 with his adopted county well set to maintain their promotion quest and a full clutch of batting points.

Play began on time at 1030 with 104.4 overs in the day’s allocation and with Ollie Carter keeping wicket in place of Charlie Tear. The substitute fielder was swiftly in the action as he failed to lay a glove on a legside delivery from Brad Currie which sped away for four byes. Billy Root also steered the left-armer for four before Gill cover drove him en route to his maiden Championship hundred made in three hours from 123 balls. In the meantime, Sean Hunt had yorked Root for 21, with Chris Cooke being in the middle to congratulate him on his achievement and being the first Indian to score a hundred for the Welsh county since 2005 when Sourav Ganguly made 142 against Kent at Cardiff.

Cooke opened his account with a skewed drive through fourth slip against Currie before Gill brought up the 250 and another batting point with a firm straight drive for four against Currie. Jack Carson’s off-spin was then introduced at the Sea End, with Gill reverse-sweeping his second delivery before off-driving and on-driving two further fours in the over. The boundaries continued to come apace as Faheem Ashraf had another salvo at the Cromwell Road End and was swatted for a pair of fours by Cooke but ,with the total on 277, Gill lofted Carson into Hunt’s hands at long-on.

Andrew Salter joined Cooke as the cloud cover increased and during the 58th over, the players left the field as a short shower descended causing the loss of two overs. On the resumption, Cooke reverse-swept Carson for four before pulling Hunt for four whilst Salter swept Carson for four to bring up the 300 and another bonus point in the 62nd over. Salter repeated the shot in the spinner’s next over but, with the total on 315, he also advanced down the wicket to Carson and holed out to wide long-on.

James Harris joined Cooke who cover-drove and square-cut Carson for successive fours before completing his fifty from 69 balls shortly before lunch.

Evening Update

Sussex began the final session on 88-0 still trailing by 187 runs with Haines cover-driving Timm van der Gugten before Ali Orr lofted Andrew Salter for a straight six to bring up the hundred as news also filtered through from Worcester that Middlesex had secured maximum batting points and, barring any over rate penalties tomorrow, only need a draw at New Road to clinch the second promotion slot.

Orr then deposited Salter over long-on for six before Haines reached his fifty from 83 balls. Orr then bludgeoned successive fours against Patel before lofting him high over long-off. He then steered James Harris through backward point for four to complete his century from 82 balls. Haines also flicked Harris to fine-leg for four before drilling the next ball through the covers – a stroke he repeated in the seamer’s next over. Orr then cover drove Patel before harpooning successive deliveries from Patel over mid-wicket and then lofting the next over long-on for a third consecutive maximum in the over.

On 145, Orr posted a career-best as he played the first of successive reverse-sweeps against Patel before completing his 150 from 123 balls and one run later scoring his 1,000th run of the season. The stand then became Sussex’s best for the first wicket against Glamorgan, beating the 241 by Don Smith and Alan Oakman at the same ground in 1956. Haines then pulled Hogan for four before completing his second hundred of the day from 136 balls by cover-driving Salter for four and wiping off the arrears.

Orr greeted the return of van der Gugten by pulling him for four before Haines drilled Harris for four as the stand became Sussex’s highest for any wicket against Glamorgan beating the 294 added by Luke Wells and Ben Brown for the fifth wicket at Hove in 2016. Orr celebrated by drilling van der Gugten through mid-off before Haines dabbed Harris for four through point to bring up the 300-stand

Afternoon Report

Sussex resumed after lunch on 218-6, still 315 runs in arrears, despite the counter-attack by teenager Charlie Tear and Tom Haines the hour before the interval. Michael Hogan returned to the fray at the Sea End whilst Timm van der Gugten had a second salvo coming down the slope from the Cromwell Road End. Haines continued his captain’s knock by steering the Dutchman to third man for four before pulling Hogan to the ropes at mid-wicket.

Tear then cover-drove Hogan for four before Haines completed his hundred by steering van der Gugten through backward point – his 150th delivery – with Tear next over reaching his maiden Championship fifty from 76 balls by on-driving Hogan. The former pupil of Seaford College then square-drove van der Gugten before Ajaz Patel returned at the Sea End. However, it was the Dutchman who broke through as Tear departed l.b.w. to a full-length delivery from the seamer.

252-7 immediately became 252-8 as Jack Carson was clean bowled with news coming through shortly afterwards from Trent Bridge that Nottinghamshire had taken the ninth Durham wicket to clinch sufficient bonus points to clinch promotion. Patel then trapped Sean Hunt l.b.w. as he played half forward and might have had Haines caught at slip, but a juggling David Lloyd could not clung onto the ball. Next over, van der Gugten struck again as Brad Currie also departed leg before as the follow-on was enforced, despite Haines 108*.

This was only the third time in the Club’s history that they had enforced the follow-on in successive matches with the previous occasions being in June 1933 (v Lancashire at Swansea and v Worcestershire at Llanelli) and June 1957 (v Leicestershire at Coalville and v Somerset at Swansea).

The home captain was back in the middle ten minutes later, with Ali Orr, to begin Sussex’s second innings with 53 overs remaining in the day’s quota plus tomorrow’s 96. Haines duly cover-drove Harris before Orr unfurled a couple of booming straight drives against the seamer. A pair of straight-driven fours by Orr saw Sussex to the 50-mark before Haines clipped van der Gugten to fine-leg for four. Orr then pulled Patel for six before late-cutting him for four followed by a harpooned six high over mid-wicket to complete a 41-ball fifty

Morning Report

Hove has not been a happy hunting ground in recent years for Glamorgan in Championship cricket – for example in 2018, they lost inside two days after being dismissed for 85 and 88 by an attack boasting Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan and David Wiese. Although Sussex have Faheem Ashraf, the Pakistan international, in their ranks for this contest, their attack in 2022 is largely an inexperienced one and yesterday they were also a bowler short as a bout of food poisoning in the Sussex camp, ruled out Fynn Hudson-Prentice plus keeper Chris Tear.

Glamorgan’s batters therefore made hay whilst the sun shone – albeit sporadically in between the squally showers – with centuries by Chris Cooke and Shubman Gill plus a feisty fifty from Ajaz Patel allowing them to Glamorgan declare on 533-9 and set Sussex the task of scoring 384 to avoid the follow-on. They made a breezy start and were 88-1 when bad light stopped play. The overhead conditions, thankfully from a Glamorgan perspective, were much brighter this morning as Timm van der Gugten and Michael Hogan resumed the bowling. Tom Haines cover drove the Dutchman for four in the opening over but Hogan struck with his third delivery as Tom Alsop feathered a ball into Chris Cooke’s gloves.

93-2 saw Tom Clark join Haines who off-drove van der Gugten for four before Clark did the same to Hogan. Haines then completed his fifty from 62 balls before Clark on-drove van der Gugten for four. Haines then cover-drove van der Gugten before Patel and James Harris returned to the attack. The latter immediately struck as Clark edged to Cooke as the Welsh county secured their first bowling point.

136-3 saw Dan Ibrahim make his way to the middle and he opened his account by sweeping Patel for four before on-driving the spinner. But next over, Ibrahim under-edged a pull against Harris as Sussex slipped further to 150-4. Faheem Ashraf off-drove the seamer but next ball gloved a lifting delivery to Cooke. 154-5 then became 157-6 as Hudson-Prentice chipped a ball straight back to Patel.

Charlie Tear square-drove Harris before twice pulling Patel to the mid-wicket ropes, followed by three successive fours with a pair of rasping square-cuts plus another sweep. He then pulled Andrew Salter for four as the 200 came up in the 41st over. The teenager then swatted successive balls from Patel to the boards at mid-wicket before sweeping him to fine-leg.

Close of Play Report.

Sussex had reached 485-7 at tea, with a lead of 210 runs and with a minimum of 25 overs remaining. Billy Root bowled the first over of the session, in his new guise as a seam bowler, in tandem with Andrew Salter, with Ibrahim pulling Root for four before Carson cover-drove the spinner. But later in the over, Carson miscued a pull against Salter and Root, running in from mid-wicket, completed the catch.

Sean Hunt, the new batter, smeared a ball from Root to third man before Eddie Byrom replaced Salter at the Sea End with his leg-breaks and was on-driven for four by Hunt. Ibrahim also pulled Root for four before cover-driving him for another boundary. Chris Cooke, as last year at The Oval, then had a trundle as David Lloyd took over behind the stumps before Sam Northeast turned his arm over and was also biffed for four by Ibrahim who then pulled for Cooke for four before completing a single to reach his maiden hundred whereupon Sussex declared and the players shook hands as the game ended in a draw with Michael Hogan, in his final appearance for Glamorgan, leading off the players to a standing ovation.

Teatime Update

Play resumed at Hove at 13.10 with Sussex on 406-4, leading by 131 runs, plus news from New Road that the match between Middlesex and Worcestershire had ended in a draw as a result of a damp outfield, meaning that whatever the outcome of the game on the South Coast, Glamorgan would finish in third place in Division Two.

Patel and Salter continued the bowling with the former ending Haines’ tenure at the crease as the home captain departed for 177 having chipped the left-armer into the hands of Andy Gorvin who was fielding as a substitute at midwicket. Charlie Tear began with an on-driven four against Salter followed by a straight drive against the off-spinner plus a lofted on-drive against Patel. Ibrahim also drove Salter through mid-off for four before Tear late cut Salter for four. But later in the over, Tear off-drove the spinner and Gorvin claimed his second catch as he dived full length to his right to cling onto the ball.

451-6 then became 457-7 as Faheem Ashraf was superbly caught and bowled by Salter who dived to his left in his follow-through to complete a one-handed catch. Jack Carson cover-drove Patel before Ibrahim lofted Salter for six over long-on as Sussex’s lead reached the 200-mark. With Carson defending stoutly, Ibrahim completed his fifty from 128 balls

Morning Report

Glamorgan have not won a Championship match at Hove since 1975 and, after proceedings after tea yesterday, when Sussex scored 234 runs without losing a wicket, an end to this sequence looked unlikely, even though Glamorgan had enforced the follow-on with Sussex trailing by 275 runs. Nevertheless, Sussex’s opening batters, Ali Orr and Tom Haines, unleashed a ferocious counter-attack, racing to 312-0 in the space of 53 overs as they posted the highest-ever opening stand for the South Coast club against the Welsh county and all after news from Worcester had reached Hove around 4pm that Middlesex had secured sufficient bonus points to mean that they only needed to draw their match at New Road and not incur any over-rate penalties to clinch the second promotion spot.

After a guard of honour, involving both teams and the coaching staff, for Michael Hogan as he made his way onto the field on his final day in Glamorgan colours, Andrew Salter and Ajaz Patel resumed the bowling duties with a flurry of singles before Orr pulled Salter for a huge six over mid-wicket. But, next over, Haines danced down the wicket to Patel who deflected a firm drive back onto the stumps with Orr stranded out of his ground. 328-1 then became 333-2 as Tom Alsop slapped a ball from Patel into Salter’s hands at backward point.

A couple of overs later, Haines drilled a ball from Patel which felled umpire Paul Baldwin before the bowler was in the action again as he made a smart catch running backwards from mid-off as Tom Clark miscued a lofted drive against Andrew Salter. Fynn Hudson-Prentice opened his account by lofting Salter over long-on before doing the same to Patel over mid-off. However, Salter snared him as he edged a ball into Cooke’s gloves as he danced down the wicket to the off-spinner. Dan Ibrahim joined Haines who on-drove and square-cut successive deliveries from Patel before clipping Salter to the fence at mid-wicket to complete his 150 from 214 balls.

A leg-glance by Haines against Patel saw Sussex’s lead go into three figures with Glamorgan taking the new ball after 80 overs with Sussex on 378-4 as James Harris returned at the Cromwell Road End and was pulled for four by Ibrahim. Salter however continued at the Sea End and, after just three overs from Harris, Patel returned to the attack.