Sussex CCC Match Preview - 12/05/2022

The season so far:

 Both teams fell to defeat last week, with the Running Foxes defeated by Glamorgan on day four, while this weeks opposition Sussex also slipped up on day four, with a declaration being punished by Middlesex who chased 370 in 74 overs to create a result in a match what looked like it was meandering to a draw.  This leaves the two teams at the foot of the Division Two table, with Sussex having the edge with 39 points to 34 prior to this vital match for both teams.  The losing team will be cut adrift at the bottom of the Division Two table, so there’s plenty for both teams to play for over the coming four days.

Last time we met:

 The two teams met once in the 2021 season, with Leicestershire emerging victorious in dramatic style by an innings and five runs.

 In a match which had a day’s play lost due to rain, Leicestershire’s 133 run first innings lead proved decisive when four wickets for Ben Mike and four for Callum Parkinson ran through the Sussex batting in their second innings, collapsing from 57-0 to 128 all out with little time left on day four.

 Prior to this, big tons from Hassan Azad (152) and Lewis Hill (145) helped the Running Foxes to 492-4 declared from 102 overs, with half-centuries at over a run a ball from Louis Kimber and Harry Swindells also helped push up the scoring rate to enable the declaration.  We also saw Chris Wright impress in the first innings, taking 6-94 as Sussex again collapsed, from 291-2 to 359 all out - Ben Brown (now at Hampshire) remaining unbeaten on 133 not out for our opposition.

Opposition players to watch:

 Tom Haines impressed for Sussex last season against us, and topped the County Championship run charts overall with 1176 runs at an average of 47.04 in 2021.  The Sussex captain has started 2022 in good form as well, already accumulating 464 runs at an average of over 50 so far, and will be a key wicket for Leicestershire’s bowlers.

 With the ball, Sussex’s danger man will be Ollie Robinson.  The England pace bowler made his season debut last week against Middlesex, and took match figures of 7-117 in what was a strong comeback following injury picked up over the winter on national duty.  With Robinson being the only Sussex bowler to currently average below 35 in the 2022 County Championship, our visitors will be relying on him to make a big impact.

Our players to watch:

 Lewis Hill makes his return to the first team squad after missing the last four matches with a broken thumb.  With Hill already having hit 93 in the opening match of the season, plus being our top scorer in red ball cricket last season, having the Leicester-born man back in our squad is a real boost for the Running Foxes both for this match and the season moving forward.

 In what has been a disappointing season for Leicestershire so far, Ben Mike’s performances have been a real plus point.  Mike has currently hit 212 runs at an average of 42.40, plus taken 13 wickets at an average of just 15.69 so far in the season, in what has been a real breakthrough season for the all-rounder.