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    Clusters of wickets keep Sussex within range

    16 July 2018

    Three wickets in 15 balls for Craig Miles, and four more in seven overs either side of tea checked what in the first hour had threatened to be a big Sussex score on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

    Miles' burst came after opening pair Luke Wells and Phil Salt had added 74 in even time following Sussex's decision to bat after winning the toss. He removed both and the attacking threat of Luke Wright before lunch, and finished with 4-68 on what was also a special day for young off spinner George Drissell.

    The teenager was brought on with only eight overs to go until tea, and provoked a spate of activity on social media with his first Championship wicket as he broke a stand of 113 between Harry Finch and Ben Brown, removing the Sussex skipper for 59 with the aid of a comfortable catch by Higgins at mid off.

    Drissell also accounted for Chris Jordan shortly after the resumption, and when Matt Taylor took a fine reflex catch to end Finch's quest for a second Championship hundred of the season, Sussex had slipped from 210-4 to 236-8.

    The last two wickets added a further 50 runs before David Payne trapped Danny Briggs lbw with the second new ball to deprive Sussex of a third batting point. Facing a total of 286 and with 11 overs to bat before the close, openers Chris Dent and Miles Hammond chalked 42 off the Sussex total to leave Gloucestershire in a position they would have taken midway through the morning session.

    Watch George Drissell's reaction to his first Championship wickets here...

     

    The opening day of the Festival displayed all the characteristics that make it so revered on the county circuit, with enough in the pitch to make it a genuine contest between bat and ball in front of a crowd of more than 2,500.

    Sussex's first innings score centred on only two partnerships - take those out of their total and only 99 runs remain, yet Wells and in particular Salt saw the visitors rapidly get the scoreboard ticking as the crowd filtered in, taking four boundaries and a six towards the pavilion off Matt Taylor's opening three overs.

    The ball beat the bat often enough for Gloucestershire to think wickets would come, and Salt's miscue to mid wicket which fell just over James Bracey meant that an edge to third man brought up his half century after little more than an hour's cricket.

    Sussex certainly capitalised on any width being offered by the Gloucestershire bowlers, but as Miles' radar became more accurate, the rewards followed. Wells mistimed a pull to mid wicket and was caught by van Buuren, he bowled a text book yorker to splay Salt's stumps for 57, and then Bracey took an excellent low catch as Wright tried to force him through the leg side. Burgess also went cheaply - lbw to Noema-Barnett, which left Harry Finch and skipper Ben Brown to repair the damage.

    By lunch they had added 28, and the period after the resumption again showed Cheltenham's variations, the pair circumspectly building a stand as Gloucestershire skipper Chris Dent rotated his swing and seam bowlers in search of a breakthrough. It was all much less frenetic than earlier in the day, a flick by Brown to deep square leg bringing up the fifty partnership.

    The Sussex captain was batting deep in his crease, whilst Finch was well outside it when he edged Higgins to third man for four, a shot which drew a yelp from the Gloucestershire all rounder. A drive through extra cover, also off Higgins, was more convincing and both men reached their half centuries with ten boundaries apiece before the day took another twist.

    George Drissell's first two Championship appearances had failed to yield a wicket, but he didn't have to wait long here for get off the mark, Brown (59) giving Higgins a straight forward catch at mid off. The stand had been worth 113 in 33 overs and with Wiese lbw to Noema-Barnett without playing a shot off the last ball before tea, Gloucestershire had opened the door to the lower order and the wobble in the Sussex innings continued in the final session.

    Drissell, in his first over, saw Noema-Barnett snap up Jordan's edge at slip and Finch - having got to 76 with 13 fours - was dismissed by an outstanding return catch from Matt Taylor.

    Robinson and Archer looked competent enough, but with an apparent desire to bowl at Gloucestershire before the close both took chances. Robinson hitting Drissell into the marquees at long on before Archer edged Miles to Noema-Barnett at slip and Payne - with the second new ball - trapped Briggs lbw for his 199th first class wicket. His 200th will have to wait a little longer.

    The sunshine which had bathed the ground earlier in the day gave way to more overcast skies for the 11 overs Gloucestershire were left to negotiate, but even against Archer and Robinson openers Dent and Hammond were not prepared merely to survive, the latter flicking Archer neatly twice off his pads before giving a chance to Salt at third slip. It went through the fielder's hands - and with it any advantage Sussex may have taken from an even first day.

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