County require further 389 to win

Sussex versus Leicestershire, Specsavers County Championship, Day 3:

SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE

INTERVIEW | Richard Jones spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae at stumps, the interview is available HERE

HIGHLIGHTS | The highlights of the third day are available HERE

REPORT | Stiaan van Zyl top-scored for the second time in the Specsavers County Championship match as Sussex set Leicestershire 425 to win on day three at Arundel.

Mathew Pillans and Clint McKay each took an early wicket but the day belonged to van Zyl, who recorded the game’s highest score by some distance.

His unbeaten 166 from 252 balls with 24 fours came in a stay that lasted over five hours in searing heat and allowed the festival hosts to declare their second innings at 443-6.

Openers Paul Horton (15*) and Arun Harinath (17*) guided County to 36 without loss in a steady display of batting, reducing the target to 389 for victory by stumps.

Sussex started the day at 74 for 1, a lead of 55, but Leicestershire made the early running, removing both overnight batsmen inside the opening seven overs.

Luke Wells (43) was trapped in front by a ball from Pillans which kept low and McKay picked up his sixth wicket of the match when he pinned Harry Finch (18) in his crease with a ball the batsmen needed to be forward to.

That left Sussex 87 for 3 but van Zyl did the hard yards in assessing the vagaries of a pitch offering some erratic bounce and then began to drive confidently through the off-side, collecting the majority of his 24 boundaries between cover and mid-off.

The left-hander received terrific support from Luke Wright and Ben Brown, who would both made half-centuries as part of consecutive substantial partnerships.

van Zyl and Wright played with increasing authority, although the former was dropped at cover on 35 by Richard Jones off Will Fazakerley’s first delivery of the day.

Leicestershire paid a high price for the reprieve. van Zyl scored the first half-century of the match, reaching the landmark off 77 balls when he drove Fazakerley through the covers for his ninth boundary, and would go on to raise his bat twice more.

At lunch van Zyl was 64 having added an unbroken 108 in 27 overs with Wright, who offered excellent support with his unbeaten 42. Sussex were 195 for 3 at the break, a lead of 176.

The former Sussex captain hit eight boundaries in scoring 60 from 110 balls but the innings ended when Wright picked out Rob Sayer at deep square-leg to give Pillans his second wicket. The stand with van Zyl had helped to nullify Leicestershire's threat and ultimately yielded 135 in 40.4 overs. 

Brown kept the momentum going; the skipper was at his busy and effective best, turning ones into twos and employing some effective back-foot shots.

Number four batsman van Zyl reached his century with his 17^th boundary, punching a ball from Colin Ackermann through the covers. It came in 199 minutes off 175 balls.

Leicestershire took the new ball immediately it became available but were unable to part van Zyl and Brown, who added 146 in 28 overs either side of tea to build a strong position.

van Zyl passed his previous best for Sussex – 147 against Durham in May – before losing two partners. Brown was pinned in front by a shooter from Jones after scoring 67 in 80 balls with eight boundaries, and Chris Jordan (9) was bowled attempting to hit Rob Sayer through the leg-side.

But Jofra Archer added a violent 42 off just 14 balls, including four maximums and three other boundaries, to allow Sussex to get into a position where they could bowl ten overs before stumps. McKay and Pillans finished with two-fors.

Facing a burst of pace from Jordan and Archer and some overs from spin duo Danny Briggs and Will Beer after an energy-sapping day in the field was never going to be straightforward.

But Horton and Harinath negotiated the tricky period well to ensure that Leicestershire’s final day pursuit will begin with all ten second innings wickets intact.

Bowling figures for Leicestershire (second innings): McKay 23-7-62-2, Jones 17-0-92-1, Pillans 23-2-77-2, Sayer 28-2-119-1, Fazakerley 6-1-35-0, Ackermann 6-0-26-0, Harinath 1-0-5-0.

* Thanks to John Mallett for the photo of Mathew Pillans bowling at Arundel today.