Mike takes nine in Hove defeat
Thu 6 Sep 2018
RESULT | Day 3 of 4, Specsavers County Championship: Sussex CCC 373 & 210 beat Leicestershire CCC 133 & 176 by 274 runs
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo
REACTION | Head Coach Paul Nixon spoke to BBC Radio Leicester’s Richard Rae at the end of the game
HIGHLIGHTS | In-play highlights are available throughout the 2018 season
POINTS | Sussex CCC 23 points, Leicestershire CCC 3 points
REPORT | Ben Mike continued his fine Leicestershire CCC debut but it was not enough to prevent promotion-chasing Sussex CCC from completing a 274-run victory in Hove.
Sussex CCC added a further 110 runs to their overnight second innings score of 100 for six, with Mike claiming his maiden first-class five-wicket haul to go alongside first innings figures of four for 57.
It took his match haul to a superb nine for 94, the best by a Leicestershire CCC debutant since Robbie Joseph collected 12 for 111 against Glamorgan CCC in 2012.
The target was 451 and leading scorer Colin Ackermann posted 52 in moving past 800 first-class runs for the season.
But Ollie Robinson claimed the first five wickets of the innings to end with a career-best match analysis of ten for 67 as Leicestershire CCC made 176 all out in their second innings.
All-rounder Ben Raine gave the Foxes the ideal start on day three by removing home skipper Ben Brown (10). The seamer extracted some movement, enticed the edge, and Ned Eckersley did the rest behind the stumps.
Jordan top-scored, as he did in the first innings, again looking in terrific shape whenever he drove through the covers.
Jofra Archer also played some attractive strokes, including consecutive fours at the end of the 38th over. A fearsome pull sent in front of square took the alliance to 50, and that was followed by a drive through mid-off.
A double change followed as Parkinson and Mike joined forces, and the young all-rounder made it seven for the match when ending the 70-run alliance for the eighth wicket. Archer (33) pulled down the throat of Neil Dexter at long-leg, leaving Sussex CCC at 173 for eight.
The hosts continued to go for their shots, and Robinson struck two powerful fours through the leg-side in the 45th over as the second innings score approached 200.
His cameo came to an end at 17 when Mike nipped one back to rip out the middle stump, making it consecutive four-wicket hauls at that stage.
Jordan progressed to his second 50 of the match from 64 balls (7x4) but he too lost his middle pole to Mike, who continued his dream debut.
It left a tricky five-over period before lunch and it was safely negotiated by Harry Dearden and Paul Horton, who pocketed a boundary apiece as the total progressed to 17 without loss.
But the Foxes lost their first wicket with 21 on the board as Horton (10) was bowled by a Robinson delivery that nipped back just enough to clip off stump.
Ackermann sent a couple of drives rocketing through the covers to get off and running in the finest possible style, and Dearden also timed the ball beautifully in steering fours either side of the wicket.
The young left-hander then received an almost unplayable delivery for the second ball in the match, this time Robinson was the bowler as Dearden (21) edged behind.
On-song Robinson made it three when bowling Mark Cosgrove (5) before Ackermann and Dexter produced a steady partnership.
There was one anxious moment as Dexter completed the sharpest of singles after an athletic piece of work by Archer in his follow-through, but that aside, the duo looked in little trouble.
Ackermann’s strokeplay was delightful. His control was best demonstrated in the 34th over when pulling ferociously to the ropes before tickling one around the corner to pick up four more.
A crisp cover drive from Dexter took him into double figures in the following over, and the stand reached 50 as Ackermann greeted the introduction of Danny Briggs with a clip that raced down the slope towards the hospitality boxes.
The No.3 batsman played spin just as well as he negotiated seam and reached 50 from 86 balls shortly before tea. The Foxes moved to 120 for three at the interval – but suffered a huge double blow as Robinson returned after tea.
The tall seamer trapped Ackermann lbw before bowling Eckersley (0) later in the 41st over, leaving the Foxes in trouble at 121 for five.
Dexter formed another alliance with Raine, who received one particularly brutish ball from Archer that he somehow managed to steer over the slips for four.
Leicestershire CCC would lose a batsman later in the 53rd over, though, as Dexter got a feather to an Archer delivery on the way through to Brown.
When Raine (22) advanced to Briggs and was caught by Archer in a position that was slightly deeper than conventional mid-on, County had lost their seventh wicket with 158 on the board.
Archer struck on two further occasions as part of a hostile spell from the Cromwell Road End. Mike (4) was rapped on the gloves with Harry Finch diving across to take the catch in front of Jordan at first slip, before Klein (0) was bowled by a fuller delivery after previously being struck by a short ball that followed him.
The final wicket was claimed by David Wiese, who bowled Muhammad Abbas (4) to leave Callum Parkinson unbeaten on 10. The Foxes took three points from the game, and now host leaders Warwickshire CCC on Monday (10.30am start).
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 13-1-46-1, Raine 11-2-49-3, Mike 11.3-1-37-5, Klein 9-1-51-1, Parkinson 6-0-24-0.
PHOTO | Thanks to John Mallett for the photo of Ben Mike walking off the field having taken five for 37 today.
* 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
