All to play for between Worcestershire and Sussex
Tom Haines made 91 and there were half-centuries for skipper Tom Alsop, Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Jack Carson as Sussex recovered from a mini collapse to head into the final day against Worcestershire at Hove with a lead of 297 and four second-innings wickets in hand.
Haines and Tom Clark knocked off their first innings deficit of 62 in a confident opening stand of 143 that appeared to be putting their side in a strong position. But 45 minutes after lunch suddenly there was some assistance in the 1st Central County Ground pitch for Worcestershire’s seamers.
Haines and Clark departed to successive balls and both James Coles and Ollie Carter fell cheaply as four wickets went down in 27 deliveries for just four runs. When Dan Ibrahim was fifth out for a skittish but in the circumstances vital run-a-ball 28, Sussex were only in front by 116.
Worcestershire all-rounder Matthew Waite said, “It’s a tough pitch but in the middle session we gave it a really good go and took five wickets and got on top. I thought we stuck at it brilliantly all day but it’s hard work. There hasn’t been a score under 340 in the game yet which tells you everything.”
