Bowlers on top in Hove
Wed 5 Sep 2018
SCORE | Day 2 of 4, Specsavers County Championship: Sussex CCC 323-8 & 100-6 v Leicestershire CCC 133
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo
REACTION | Callum Parkinson spoke to BBC Radio Leicester’s Richard Rae at stumps
HIGHLIGHTS | In-play highlights are available throughout the 2018 season
REPORT | The bowlers prospered on day two of the Specsavers County Championship match between Sussex CCC and Leicestershire CCC in Hove.
Although 283 runs were scored in three different innings, 18 wickets were claimed in the 76.3 overs of play that was possible as the game moved at pace.
Sussex CCC resumed their first innings at 323 for eight and added a further 50 runs to their first innings total, Ben Mike finishing with fine analysis of four for 57 on debut.
Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer then took the first eight wickets as Leicestershire CCC was dismissed for 133, Callum Parkinson (48) and Muhammad Abbas (32*) sharing a valiant 84 for the last wicket.
All-rounders Mike and Ben Raine were again in the wickets as Sussex CCC opted against enforcing the follow-on and closed at 100 for six to take a 340-run lead into day three. The debutant took two for 21, while Raine claimed his 50th Specsavers County Championship wicket of the season.
Robinson pulled the first boundary of the day through mid-wicket in the fifth over, while half-centurion Chris Jordan again looked in good shape whenever driving through extra cover.
The duo took Sussex CCC to the brink of a fourth batting point but Leicestershire CCC claimed a maximum bowling return when Dieter Klein produced a good piece of bowling to dismiss top-scorer Jordan (68).
Left armer Klein bowled a fast, short delivery that rushed on before pitching one up, and the batsman flicked off his pads straight to Harry Dearden at mid-wicket.
There was some frustration for the Foxes as last pair Robinson and Danny Briggs (13*) churned out some more runs, but Mike returned to positive effect.
The all-rounder produced a beautiful delivery that looked to be shaping in, hit the seam, and then took out the off stump as Robinson (19) offered the full face of the bat.
Dearden and Paul Horton opened the batting for the Foxes, but Robinson was in inspired form in the early exchanges of the innings, taking four for seven before lunch in moving to 50 first-class wickets in 2018.
Leicestershire CCC lost their captain without scoring as the seamer found the outside edge and Jordan snapped up the chance at first slip.
No.3 Colin Ackermann (3) played a forward defensive stroke but saw off stump disturbed, while Mark Cosgrove (0) was lbw to one that came back in from around the wicket.
When Dearden (5) nicked an Archer delivery that both bounced and seamed away from around the wicket, and Eckersley (1) edged Robinson low to Jordan in the cordon, the Foxes had slipped to nine for five.
Neil Dexter and Raine (6) took the score to 19 at the interval, but the sixth wicket fell as the left-hander attempted a pull that looped back towards Robinson, who completed his five-for.
It became eight as Dexter, who hit three pleasant boundaries in his 16, and Mike (2) were both bowled by Archer in contrasting fashion. Dexter opted to play no stroke to a delivery that came back to clip the off peg, while Mike played on to leg stump.
Jordan struck in his first over as Klein (5) edged to Phil Salt at third slip, leaving the Foxes at 49 for nine before a gutsy last wicket stand developed between Parkinson and Abbas.
With conditions getting increasingly gloomy, Parkinson played a number of strokes, including three consecutive fours in the arc between straight mid-wicket and mid-on in the 23rd over.
Abbas also batted well, with one particularly glorious shot down the ground arriving when the slow left arm of Briggs entered the equation, and the stand reached 52 from just 50 deliveries.
The Pakistan international recorded his highest score for the Foxes when smashing a six over mid-on, and Parkinson then smoked his fourth boundary to move into the forties.
Sussex CCC had already brought back Archer (three for 28), and then Robinson (five for 24) returned, but Parkinson struck the latter for four through the covers to move to the brink of 50. He unfortunately missed the landmark after being caught at mid-off from the bowling of Briggs.
The partnership came within three of bettering the all-time club record 10th wicket partnership against Sussex CCC, so Robert MacDonald and John Whiteside remain in the record books with the 86 they shared in Hastings in 1901.
Tea was taken with Sussex CCC leading by 240 at that point. They decided to bat again and lost two quick wickets to the new ball.
Tom Haines (8) nicked Raine towards Cosgrove at first slip, and the fielder parried it up for Eckersley to take diving forwards. Luke Wells (0) then tried to whip Abbas through the leg-side, but got a leading edge to Dexter at mid-off, leaving the hosts at 18 for two.
It was nearly three when Salt edged with just enough force to beat a diving Dearden in the gully, and the opener went on to share exactly 50 with Finch, who contributed 35 of them in an attractive knock.
But Mike took two wickets in an over to check progress as Finch (35) was lbw before Luke Wright (1) clipped to Dexter at mid-wicket.
There were further scares for Sussex CCC when Salt was put down at mid-wicket off Klein, while Brown appeared to get a faint tickle to a leg-side delivery that was just beyond Eckersley’s grasp as he dived to his left.
The bowlers continued to create, and the wicket tally extended to 18 by stumps. Klein picked up a deserved breakthrough as Salt (35) feathered through to Eckersley, and Raine then returned to pin David Wiese (0) in front to claim his landmark wicket before bad light ended play prematurely for the second day in succession.
TEAM | Horton (capt), Dearden, Ackermann, Cosgrove, Dexter, Eckersley (wk), Raine, Mike, Parkinson, Klein, Abbas.
FIGURES | 1st innings: Abbas 27-5-83-1, Klein 8-0-41-1, Raine 20-1-73-3, Mike 13.3-1-57-4, Parkinson 19-3-56-0, Ackermann 3-0-7-0, Dexter 12-1-35-1.
2nd innings: Abbas 6-1-18-1, Raine 7-2-30-2, Mike 6-0-21-2, Klein 7-1-29-1.
PHOTO | Thanks to John Mallett for the photo of Ben Mike claiming the wicket of Ollie Robinson.
* Leicestershire CCC’s next Specsavers County Championship home game is against leaders Warwickshire CCC on Monday, September 10 (10.30am start). Tickets cost £12 for adults and £2 for under 16s and are available for all four days HERE
