[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Three

Morning: After bringing up a much-needed batting point, Joe Leach fell LBW for 18, and no one could offer the kind of resistance that the Sussex tail had showed as Josh Baker was caught behind for 5 and Dillon Pennington caught and bowled for 6. Needing a positive start with the ball, Leach proceeded to strike with the second delivery of the innings, drawing an edge from Tom Haines that was caught high at first slip for a duck; the skipper then found himself on a hat-trick for the second time in the match when he dismissed new man Harrison Ward LBW for a golden duck. A few overs later Leach gained his third scalp as James Cole was adjuged LBW for 1, leaving Sussex 3-3. However, not for the first time this season, Worcestershire failed to keep that momentum going, and the visitors made it to lunch on 37-3.

Afternoon: A half-century from Ali Orr did further damage before Oli Carter was caught and bowled for 20 by Josh Baker. The spinner then repeated the feat to dismiss Orr for 57, but once again Sussex recovered, and reached tea on 149-5, leading by 200.

Evening: Only one further wicket in the day, with Fynn Hudson-Prentice stumped for 46 off the bowling of Baker before bad light once again brought an early end to proceedings. Sussex were 199-6 at stumps with a lead of 250; probably enough to win the match already, given Worcestershire's batting woes, but a flurry of wickets in the morning is the last remaining glimmer of hope for the Pears, short of batting out a draw.