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County Championship, Division Two

vs Sussex

New Road, Worcester

Day One

Morning: Sussex won the toss and put the Pears in to bat on a bright Thursday morning in early May. Ollie Robinson wasted no time capitalising on a green pitch in the notoriously iffy conditions of a New Road first hour, even though some of the Worcs batting was deeply suspect; certainly, Ed Pollock threw his wicket away almost immediately with a drive flying high to third slip for 4, while Azhar Ali fell LBW for 11 to a ball that nipped back, and Jack Haynes edged a ball that seamed away to first slip for 1. Jake Libby attempted a counter-attack only to lose his middle stump for 15, and when Brett D'Oliveira edged Fynn Hudson-Prentice to first slip for 1, the Pears were 44-5 before noon. But the sixth-wicket partnership managed a successful fightback in the following hour, with Adam Hose producing some splendid shots as Worcestershire reached lunch on 111-5.

Afternoon: Having suffered a tough first session, run were the order of the afternoon, and Hose continued to supply them as he reached his maiden first-class fifty for the county off 68 balls. Gareth Roderick, who'd offered fine support, edged Sean Hunt behind for 39 shortly before Hose was bowled by a Henry Crocombe yorker for 59, but the eighth-wicket partnership then continued the rearguard with a record Pears stand versus Sussex of 103. Matthew Waite was first to his fifty, taking just 40 balls to reach the milestone before he was bowled by Robinson for 59, and Joe Leach clubbed his way to 53 before edging Robinson to second slip. The England bowler then dismissed Ben Gibbon LBW for a duck, leaving the Pears 264 all out at tea; a better total than we'd have dared dream of at midday.

Evening: Yet not for the first time, the opposition made batting look a lot easier than our top order managed to, and only one wicket fell before bad light curtailed the day's play; Josh Tongue having Tom Clark caught behind for 12. Sussex were 63-1 at stumps with Orr and Alsop in the middle, and as Pujara and Smith are the next pair in, it's vital for the Pears to make the first hour count tomorrow as the visitors did today.