Holland & Currie Claim Three Apiece On Opening Day

By Paul Weaver | ECB Reporters' Network

Sussex captain John Simpson scored his third century of the season as he took control of a difficult situation against Leicestershire on the opening day of this second division County Championship match at Hove.

Ian Holland struck three times early on, while Scott Currie also claimed three wickets, before Simpson took the game out of the Foxes’ control.

Coming in at 34-3, Simpson scored a chanceless 180 not out in a Sussex total of 431-7, batting almost all day and hitting 29 fours from his 251 deliveries, while Oli Carter hit 96 off 142 balls before he was caught and bowled by Currie attempting a hook that would have given him only his second fist-class century.

When Leicestershire won the toss it looked a very good one to win.  There was a pronounced green tinge to the pitch and the bright morning sunshine had given way to a heavy cloud cover, which lent humidity to the conditions.

It should have been an even better start for the Foxes.  Tom Haines had not scored when he edged the tall left-arm seamer Josh Hull only for Currie to spill the straightforward catch at third slip.  But Holland, opening the bowling from the sea end, made up for that when he struck twice in four balls in the sixth over.

First, he had Haines caught at second slip by Louis Kimber, moving sharply to his right.  And the same combination accounted for Tom Alsop, with Kimber, on this occasion, taking a low catch.  Holland bowled particularly well to the left-handers. Bowling round the wicket and wide of the crease, he slanted the ball into the stumps and then moved it away in the direction of his three slips.

Sussex lost their third wicket at 34 when James Coles, dropped on four, added just five runs before he was caught down the leg-side to give Holland his third wicket.  The Wisconsin-born Holland is one of county cricket’s more interesting players, having been given his first chance with Victoria, after winning a reality TV show in Australia.  The all-rounder is on loan to Leicestershire from Hampshire.

But Simpson, who promoted himself to No 5 in a rejigged batting order, then took charge with Carter.  The lunch score was 84 for three after 29 overs but against some ragged bowling and shoddy fielding “ four catches went down - Sussex, who are top of the table with three wins, ran amok in the afternoon session, when they scored 197 runs.

Carter was fourth out at 190. Then Fynn Hudson-Prentice was brilliantly caught by Peter Handscomb at slip for a quick-fire 26 and when Danny Lamb was surprised by Currie’s bounce Leicestershire (third in the table after drawing all seven games) looked back in it at 260-6. But Jack Carson, dropped twice on the way to 25, and Nathan McAndrew (51 not out) helped put Sussex on top at the close.