We’ve lost 10 overs but the light has improved enough that the players are back out there. Daryl Mitchell, despite being off for most of the day, has cleared it with the umpires and the Sussex team for him to opening the batting in Worcestershire’s second innings.
Jamie has sent through his match report from Headingley
Worcestershire 210 v Sussex 510-5 declared
Sussex have declared with a lead of 300. The declaration, which came during the 117th over, means tea was taken and we’ll have a bumper 45-over session this evening. I’ll be amazed if we get them all in considering the last two evening sessions have been curtailed for bad light.
Luke Wright ended unbeaten on 226, having brought up his maiden double hundred with a thin edge past wicketkeeper Ben Cox, off his 255th ball. At one point, Worcestershire had seven men on the fence for both Wright and Chris Nash, who was eventually dismissed for 90 when he tried to work Joe Leach around the corner and was trapped in front.
Somehow, with bodies patrolling the rope, Wright still managed to find boundaries, between wide mid-on and a straighter mid-wicket or mid off and extra cover. And then, to Shantry, he planted his foot and positioned himself for a cover-drive, before slapping the ball straight over his head for a hellacious six.
Shantry was one of three Worcestershire bowlers to bring up their hundreds, along with Leach and a wicket-less Saeed Ajmal. The most galling thing about Ajmal’s 32 overs is that it is hard to remember an appeal in anger. He should have had a wicket when Wright, on 175, gave Tom Fell a simple chance that he put down at first slip. Shantry, too, could have had a second wicket of the innings when Wright skied him to Daryl Mitchell, who put down a routine catch at cover. It summed just how demoralised Worcestershire were in the field.
The tea break has gone on for a bit longer than expected with the umpires seemingly waiting for the light to improve. Sussex are currently huddled next to field, having gone through all their various bowling and catching preparations. No sport does waiting around quite like cricket...
Worcestershire 210 v Sussex 450-4
Some post-lunch announcements: Chris Nash reached his fifty from 64 balls. Sussex then brought up full batting points when they went to 400 in the 100th over. And Daryl Mitchell has returned to the match after his wife gave birth to their second child – daughter Ava.
Nash was smashed on the glove a few overs ago by Charlie Morris - the same bowler who he top-edged into his helmet yesterday forcing him to leave the field, retired hurt. He looks refreshed and composed, even a little frenetic, joining Luke Wright in the pursuit for quick, sizeable runs before a declaration.
Saeed Ajmal has taken the brunt of the punishment dished out, with Nash hitting for a six down the ground before Wright hit him for six towards the ice cream van in front of the Cathedral to go past his previous career best of 189, which he achieved last year at Hove versus Durham. He’s now six runs away from a maiden double hundred...
We’ve not had play at New Road because of some light drizzle, but play will get underway at 1:40pm.
We're due to resume but there's been some very light rain during lunch so the covers are on at the minute #GOSBTS pic.twitter.com/TPfyFmOY0c
— Sussex CCC (@SussexCCC) September 3, 2015
Updated
Some more news from Jamie at Headingley
Yorkshire have sealed victory here at Headingley by an innings an 126 runs after Somerset collapsed from 44-2 overnight to 155 all out.
Some brief and dashing resistance in the first half-hour of the match came to an abrupt end with the fall of Tom Cooper for 28 with Somerset losing eight wickets for 68 runs in 19 overs and 90 minutes.
Only James Hildreth offered any resistance with 57, but once he became the fifth wicket to fall with the score 111, the game was all but up as Ryan Sidebottom (3-32), Steve Patterson (3-43), Tim Bresnan (2-28) and Jack Brooks (2-49) finished the job.
Yorkshire now only have to avoid defeat at Lord’s when they play second-place Middlesex to claim the County Championship.
Worcestershire 210 v Sussex 380-4
Pretty demoralising for Worcestershire, but Sussex have been imperious this morning. Ben Brown has followed Luke Wright to three figures and he’s done so while looking the best batsman on show.
He’s played with a great deal of purpose and found gaps in the field that have had Worcestershire fielders scampering around between deliveries in a bid to maintain some sort of control. His hundred came off 179 balls, as he rocked back to Ajmal and slashed hard at a wide delivery that evaded Tom Fell at first slip to run away for four. He has just been dismissed, hooking Morris to Saeed Ajmal at deep square leg.
That ended Brown’s stand with Wright on 282 (they came together with the score 94-3) – a record stand for any Sussex wicket against Worcestershire, beating the previous best of 226 between George Cox and Gordon Potter, which occurred in 1954. Theirs is also the fourth highest fourth-wicket partnership of all time for Sussex.
Since moving to his hundred, Luke Wright has produced some quite breathtaking shots: flicking Shantry over square leg for six before charging Ajmal and hitting him back over his head for another. Even with someone out at deep cover point, he has been able to beat the man to the boundary a number of times. After Shantry’s six, he guided the next ball fine, behind point, to take him to 150.
Wright was actually dropped on 118 in the 81st over, as Joe Leach used the new ball to find his outside edge. But a third drop of the innings, this time by Ross Whiteley at second slip, gave him a reprieve that he is making the most of. Chris Nash, who retired hurt yesterday, has come to the continue his innings.
Lunch has just been taken with Sussex sitting on a first innings lead of 170. Anyone for a declaration speculation? 4pm for me...
Updated
Yorkshire have beaten Somerset
Yorkshire ruthless this morning - a superb performance to beat Somerset by an innings and 126 runs.
— Jamie Bowman (@JamieBowman77) September 3, 2015
Jamie Bowman reports: Yorkshire 391Somerset 142-6; 110
Ninety minutes gone here at Headingley and this game is rapidly moving to a conclusion. Somerset came out all guns blazing early on hitting eight boundaries in the first nine overs as they adopted to go down fighting rather than try and block it out. It was entertaining stuff but eventually came at a cost when Tom Cooper chased a wide one from Steve Patterson and edged to Jonny Bairstow for 28.
87-3 became 105-4 when Jim Allenby nicked one to Aaron Finch for 12 again off Patterson. At the other end, James Hildreth reached his half-century off 71 balls but he was the next man to go as Adam Lyth took a fine low catch at slip off Jack Brooks to make it 111-5.
Peter Trego rather summed up Somerset’s appalling batting in this match when he edged a halfhearted cut shot through to Bairstow for 13. It’s currently 142-6 with Somerset still trailing by 139 runs. “Delayed lunch” is up there with “bus replacement service” as one of those phrases I’m not keen on hearing but that’s the prospect as we hit midday.
Updated
Worcestershire 210 v Sussex 297-3
So, it’s taken a bit of time – half an hour this morning – but Luke Wright finally has his hundred. It’s a second of the season and has taken 166 balls. He’s had to fight for it as Worcestershire, with Saeed Ajmal and Charlie Morris, packed the in-field and preyed on the fact that he spent the night sleeping unbeaten on 98.
His first run came of the morning came after 18 balls. Seven balls later, he finally had his 100 with his 17th four of his innings, tucked off his legs and to the midwicket fence. Now, with the shackles off, he plants Brett D’Oliveira over his head for a six, which cannons off the roof of the stand next to the press box. The over ended with a fine drive from Wright off the back foot which gets him four.
While Wright was scratching about, Ben Brown was hurrying to his fifty which some dabs behind point. With his second four, he moved to 53 off 97 balls.
Worcestershire are currently led in the field by Joe Leach, who is deputising for Daryl Mitchell, whose wife went into labour last night. Leach, viewed in these parts as Mitchell’s long-term successor, has the unenviable task of tying these two batsmen down, who have put on more than 200 so far...
Jamie Bowman sets up the day from Headingley
Another sunny morning here at Headingley where we seem to be an oasis of decent weather compared to the rest of the country. Yorkshire should wrap this up at some point today - my money is on around 3pm - with eight Somerset wickets the target. It should have been seven but Tim Bresnan put down a chance at third slip late yesterday evening to leave James Hildreth unbeaten on 18no this morning. Somerset resume on 44-2 and are still 237 runs behind. Tom Copper (12no) is the other batsman.
Jack Brooks has been excellent form all game and will be raring to go after he was dropped for Yorkshire’s last Championship game at Hove. A win for Yorkshire will give them the rare opportunity to claim the title at Lord’s next week where they meet second-placed Middlesex. A draw should be enough.
This morning’s play begins with the backdrop of the continuing discussions to reduce the number of Championship fixtures by two matches. The belief at Yorkshire is that members will not take kindly to any reduction in matches at Headingley. Read Ali Martin’s excellent summary of yesterday’s meeting here:
Morning all,
Today we’re back with Vithushan Ehantharajah at New Road for Worcestershire v Sussex and Jamie Bowman at Headingley for Yorkshire v Somerset. Here are their reports from yesterday:
Yorkshire v Somerset
Jonny Bairstow carries Yorkshire closer to title against Somerset
Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow may be considered surplus to requirements for England’s limited-overs series against Australia but, following another fine innings in what is becoming a landmark season for the 25-year-old, it is hard to believe the selectors can ignore his claims for much longer.
Worcestershire v Sussex
Luke Wright passes 1,000 runs to put Worcestershire in peril
Luke Wright passed 1,000 runs in a season for the first time in his 13-year first-class career to help Sussex take charge of their crunch match against Worcestershire in the fight to avoid relegation. Bracketed as a white-ball junkie having played 50 ODIs and 51 T20 internationals for England, it is a sizeable monkey off his back. Wright will have a smaller, slightly less irritating weight on his conscience now as he sits unbeaten overnight on 98, courtesy of 17 boundaries.
Enjoy the cricket
