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Sussex v Gloucestershire
08/07/2010
LV=County Championship Division Two
Day Two. At Arundel
By Richard Latham
Some accurate left-arm spin from Vikram Banerjee kept Gloucestershire in the game as Sussex took first innings lead on the second day at Arundel.
The hosts closed on 314-6, with a lead of seven runs, after Banerjee had wheeled away for 25 overs to take four of the wickets at a cost of 84 runs.
It was another tough day of Championship cricket, which began with Gloucestershire’s last pair, Gemaal Hussain and Steve Kirby, successfully getting their side to 300 and a third batting bonus point.
They added 21 runs to the overnight 286-9 before Kirby edged a catch off Yasir Arafat, who finished with a season’s best 3-55.
Hussain’s away swing then accounted for Sussex opener Michael Thornely, who edged a catch to Chris Dent at second slip with his side's total on 34.
The score had moved on to 83 before Banerjee struck in only his second over. Chris Nash, one short of his half-century, was surprised by extra bounce as he also edged to slip where Hamish Marshall this time took the catch.
Ed Joyce looked assured in making 43 before popping up a catch to short-leg to give Banerjee his second wicket. But the game swung back Sussex’s way either side of tea with three half-century stands.
Murray Goodwin and Matt Prior added 55 before Goodwin, on 44, was leg before to a full-length delivery from Hussain.
Prior played well within himself for his 37 and had just started to accelerate when he mis-timed a drive at Banerjee and gave an easy catch to cover.
Sussex were still 105 behind at that point, but Robin Martin-Jenkins came in to play a key role on his final Championship appearance.
He soon overtook partner Joe Gatting with a succession of front-foot strokes as a further 55 were added for the sixth wicket in 14 overs.
Gatting moved to a season’s best 25 until he was too late on a defensive push and became Banerjee’s second lbw victim.
But Martin-Jenkins pressed on and negotiated the opening overs with the second new ball in an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 57 with Arafat.
The all-rounder was unbeaten on 73 at the close, having struck 12 fours in facing 108 balls. Gloucestershire will need to remove him early in the morning to avoid a significant first innings deficit.
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