Warwickshire strengthen advantage over Sussex

Bears skipper Ed Barnard claimed his two Sussex wickets in the space of two overs [Getty Images] Rothesay County Championship, Division One, County Ground, Hove (day two) Warwickshire 267 & 154-5: Yates 75*; Hudson-Prentice 3-35 Sussex 204: Robinson 39, Carson 39; Bamber 3-47 Warwickshire (4pts) lead Sussex (3pts) by 217 runs Match scorecard Warwickshire moved into a strong position on the second day of a low-scoring County Championship Division One match as they dismissed Sussex for 204 to take a first innings lead of 63. Sussex made a strong start to their first innings but then lost eight wickets for 72 runs before a ninth-wicket partnership of 66 between captain Ollie Robinson and Jack Carson led them to partial recovery. In their second innings, Warwickshire scored 154-5 to extend their advantage to 217 runs.

There was no sign of the mayhem to follow in the Sussex innings as openers Tom Haines and Dan Hughes added 58 for the first wicket at more than four an over, with both left-handers making the most of some indifferent Warwickshire bowling. But Sussex were undone by a combination of a sporting wicket, some improved bowling, a couple of marginal umpiring decisions and poor strokes from Haines, James Coles and John Simpson. Haines was bowled by Ethan Bamber playing a crooked drive in the 14th over, although the ball came in from the bowler's position wide on the crease.

That precipitated a collapse in which Sussex lost five wickets for 25 runs in six overs. Tom Clark was out to the third delivery he faced, attempting to turn a ball to leg and getting a leading edge to mid-off. And it was 78-3 when Coles, who had already offered a sharp chance to midwicket on eight, was caught at second slip attempting to drive a ball that was too short for the purpose.

He had scored 11 off 12 deliveries. Without addition, Hughes was lbw to Michael Booth for a 52-ball 30, although the ball may have pitched a fraction outside leg stump. Simpson, so often a man in a crisis, had made just five when he played a loose drive and was caught behind for 83-5.