Sussex may be sliding to a heavy defeat here but at least Matt Machan has cheered up the local supporters with a fine hundred, the fifth of his career but his third this season.
The left-handed and aggressive Machan has not played for Scotland this season as he concentrates on nailing down a place in the Sussex side, and he has gone a long way to doing that.
His century here was a fine one, off just 99 balls, and there were 12 fours. But then he was out and it sparked something of a collapse. He was caught at slip by Mullaney for 108, which made it 183 for four.
Three overs later, Craig Cachopa skied an attempted slog sweep off Samit Patel. And in the over after that James Taylor took a good reaction catch at short midwicket to dismiss Ben Brown and give Gurney his eighth wicket of the match. That made it 192 or six.
It’s tea here – a late one – and Sussex are 153 for three, with Machan 85 and new batsman Luke Wright on 14. That means they are still 204 runs behind. The third wicket went down at 124 when Nash, off balance as he tried to work the ball to leg, was lbw to Hutton, the man who had dropped him a little earlier.
Well, the good news for Notts and Sussex is that Somerset have lost, so they could yet nip in for one of the relegation spots. But if one of these two teams go down it is more likely to be Sussex.
You have to have some sympathy for them, because they have so many talented fast bowlers who have been struck down with long-term injuries. But it is difficult to work out why so many of their batsmen have struggled to find form this season.
A typical example is their captain, Ed Joyce. I’ve always said that youngsters who never saw David Gower bat could get a glimpse of what he was all about by watching Joyce, another left-hander with the ability to time the ball and make batting look as sweet as liquorice.
By the way, I met Ed’s Dad in Dublin once and his name is James Joyce. No, really. But not that one of course. But this season Ed is struggling. Last year he scored seven championship hundreds but this year he hasn’t got to three figures in any form of cricket.
He was dropped on 31 in his second dig here, by Mullaney at second slip off Gurney. But he didn’t make them pay. He was caught at gulley off the same bowler after adding another run. That made Sussex 92 for two.
Notts, who looked determined to carry the game into the final day, also dropped Chris Nash when he had scored only two. This time the culprit was Hutton at third slip, again off Gurney.
Teatime here at the seaside and Glamorgan have lost both openers. It’s Kyle Jarvis who has done the damage getting a bit of movement which saw Rudolph edging to Croft in the sips and then Bragg feathering to the keeper.
It has to be said this game is being lost via the top two inches rather than the pitch. It’s docile and flat.
Right. Well that was fun but it’s all over now. Hogan got a career best of 57 before being caught at slip. Cosker survived 40*. Glamorgan all out 350 behind so just the 200 from the follow on score.
It was quite fun though, the road behind the ground took a peppering again - aren’t Duke balls about £60 a pop? There’s a couple of hundred quids worth of ball in those gardens opposite me. I am in the wrong business.
The follow-on has been enforced so now we see if the Glammy top order can show the defiance the lower order did
The extra half an hour didn’t bring the final wicket and Michael Hogan has been having a bit of fun. He’s chanced his arm and there’s been a fair few flown through the slips but he’s about to resume on 32* from just 23 being ably supported by Cosker. As things go on, it seems that Lancs might well have another bat. While this is going on we’re counting the number of people who are falling down the bank. Current count = 11
Notts are going from strength to stranglehold here and everyone is wondering what they might do tomorrow if there is no cricket.
Sussex made the worst possible start to their second innings when they lost a wicket before they had put a run on the board. Luke Wells was defending, diffidently, when he edged Wood to Mullaney at second slip. At lunch Sussex had groped their way to 14 for one.
Lunch is delayed here at Colwyn Bay because Glamorgan are nine down. Graham Wagg had some fun putting balls into the road before playing one shot too many and chipping to Brown at midwicket for 45. They’ve just lost Andrew Salter who’d rode his luck a bit but had played some destructive shots; he’s gone for 43. Kyle Jarvis, who’s been excellent this morning, got one through his forward defensive. Glammy have picked up a couple of bonus points but with the ninth wicket Lancs have maximum bonus points. Hogan is swinging his bat now and there’s another one in the road. The question is whether Lancashire will enforce the follow-on or not.
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It looks like Robbo’s stirring words have fallen on cloth ears because Sussex are looking down the barrel of a very challenging follow-on at the Cricketfield Road Ground.
They were bowled out for 213 this morning, adding just 56 runs for the loss of their six remaining wickets. Notts must fancy their chances of easing their relegation concerns with what would be only their third victory of the season. And if Sussex bat the same way again it will be all over today. They are 357 runs behind n the first innings.
They had added just five runs to heir overnight score when Craig Cachopa was lbw for 13, only half-forward to Brett Hutton; 162 for five.
Five overs later Ben Brown was caught down the leg-side off the bowling of Harry Gurney; 187 for six. Luke Wright looked in the mood for a battle when he raised his eighth half-century of the season. But he had not added to that when he steered a delivery from Gurney straight into the hands of Steven Mullaney at second slip; 194 for seven.
That wicket gave Gurney his second five-for return of the season – and his first was also against Sussex, at Trent Bridge.
Ollie Robinson was now faced with task of doing most of Sussex’s batting, as well as half their bowling. But he was out for a 22-ball duck, trying to blast Gary Keedy through the leg-side and succeeding only in edging to Chris Read; 198 for eight.
That became 212 for nine when Peter Burgoyne was bowled by Luke Wood for 13, and finally Matt Hobden was caught behind to give Keedy his third wicket of the innings. These are tough times for Sussex.
Chapple has got his fourth wicket of the match, edging closer to 1000 FC wickets. Wallace inside edged on to his stumps for 41 and Chapple has 4 for 30. He’s getting some decent swing. He’s been replaced now by Lilley from Penrhyn Road end. And Faulkner has just replaced Jarvis who’s been excellent this morning. Glamorgan having a testing time against some very good seam bowling. The home side have just earnt their first point of the match and Wagg has launched Lilley into Penrhyn Avenue twice in two balls where both balls have been run over by a No12 bus.
There’s a lot of talent in this Lancashire side. Kyle Jarvis is getting some sage advice from Glen Chapple and has started very well with a tight line and a bit of movement - which isn’t easy on this flattest of flat pitches although those who know more than I do about 22 yards of grass say it might turn which will bring Kerrigan and young Aaron Lilley into play.
Glamorgan have started solidly enough particularly Mark Wallace who’s one of those county cricketers who doesn’t get talked about as much as he should. Both batsmen are clearly watchful against Chapple though.
Away from the cricket, a few of us went to a restaurant in Llandudno last night that was serving some lovely local Welsh produce - Kangaroo Curry, Llama burgers and Zebra steaks.
Good morning one and all and welcome to the county blog on this most Tuesday of Tuesdays.
I’m at lovely Colwyn Bay where we sent the statisticians into meltdown yesterday with a 501 stand between Alviro Petersen and Ashwell Prince. Glammy are in trouble though, they’re six down and about 15,000 away from the follow on target.
Paul Weaver is down at Horsham where James Taylor gave a rather loud knock on the selectors’ door with his 291. Elsewhere Warwickshire are on course to beat Somerset and poor Tom Abell (who is a very elegant batsman, one of my favourites) was left stranded by his Somerset team mates.
So grab a coffee and settle in for another lovely day of county cricket.
It’s a much better day in Horsham today – but Sussex might have been hoping for a repeat of yesterday’s bad weather to help them save their relegation tussle with Notts. They are 157 for four – having been 79 without loss – in reply to Notts’ vast 570 for seven declared.
Sussex coach Mark Robinson has urged his players to follow the example of James Taylor, whose magnificent 291 yesterday put his side in the box seat and reminded the England selectors that he is something substantially more than a one-day batsman.
Robinson said: “James rode his luck for quite a while but he fought hard to get through it and got better ad better. What he has got is a fantastic appetite to score runs and go big and that is a good advert for any of our players watching on how to stick to their game plan. It is not how you look, it is how many you get. I don’t care whether our batsmen get them stylishly or ugly – it is just about getting he runs.”
Morning all,
Today we have Paul Weaver at Sussex v Nottinghamshire and Lizzy Ammon at Glamorgan v Lancashire. Here are their reports from yesterday:
Glamorgan v Lancashire
Lancashire’s Ashwell Prince and Alviro Petersen pile on 500 runs
It was a day for the statistics lovers at Colwyn Bay. Records tumbled again as Lancashire’s South African duo, Ashwell Prince and Alviro Petersen, carried on where they’d left off putting on an exhibition of batting. With ease they pushed their partnership past 300, then 400, then 500.
Sussex v Nottinghamshire
James Taylor hits 291 and declares he’s ready for England
There was a long period of time when James Taylor was considered the “next cab off the rank” as far as England batting was concerned. Now he has become the “rainy day cab,” the one that has disappeared from view, although he kept his meter running for a considerable time for Nottinghamshire at Cricketfield Road on Monday, batting for eight hours and 21 minutes to make his highest first class score of 291.
Enjoy the cricket
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