Bob Willis Trophy: Harry Finch gives Sussex edge at Middlesex

Harry Finch struck 12 boundaries in his innings on Saturday, top scoring for Sussex with 69

Harry Finch's battling half-century helped Sussex to edge an absorbing day one of in their Bob Willis Trophy encounter with hosts Middlesex at Radlett.

Finch batted for more than three hours to hit 12 fours in a top score of 69 in the visitors' total of 293.

Delray Rawlins weighed in down the order with a run-a-ball 46, but Sussex's day was marred by a back injury to opener Tom Haines, who returned late in the innings with a runner but looked in great discomfort.

For Middlesex, there were four wickets for all-rounder Martin Andersson and 18-year-old Blake Cullen, making his debut for the county, returned figures of 2-51.

The morning session was a story of a missed opportunity for England hopeful Phil Salt, who endured testing opening overs from Tim Murtagh and Miguel Cummins, surviving a scare when he lifted the former just over the head of the latter at mid-on.

Salt pushed on, producing a gorgeous shot to loft left-arm spinner Thilan Walallawita back over his head for a straight six. Another maximum followed when he pulled a short one from Cullen over the square-leg fence, but his good early work was undone when he attempted to hook Andersson's first-ball bouncer and only succeeded in top-edging it to Cullen at fine leg to depart for 42.

After steering Sussex to 80-1 at the interval, Haines had not added to his tally following the resumption when he played a defensive shot against Walallawita only to suffer a back spasm. He was briefly treated on the field before heading back to the dressing room for intensive physio.

His replacement Tom Clark struck two sweet boundaries before becoming the first first-class victim for Cullen, edging a delivery to diving wicketkeeper John Simpson.

After playing nicely with Finch through much of the afternoon, it was a surprise when Sussex skipper Ben Brown fell to the last ball before tea for 26, mistiming a short ball from Murtagh (2-41) and spooning the ball to mid-wicket.

Finch found fluency after tea, plundering three fours from one Cummins over as he and new batsman Aaron Thomason raised the 200, but it ended in disappointing fashion when he fenced at a straight one from Cullen, giving Simpson the simplest of catches.

After taking 30 balls to get off the mark, Thomason made 10 before Andersson pinned him lbw, then Rawlins and Ollie Robinson stabilised with a stand of 35.

Cummins returned to trap Robinson before to one which looked a little high but, if there was doubt about that, Jack Carson was stone dead to the next delivery, before Mitchell Claydon survived a lifting hat-trick ball.

Rawlins cut loose with an enormous six over the old pavilion off Walallawita and hit three successive fours from the returning Andersson, who gained revenge when Rawlins holed out to Nick Gubbins on the fence, but his swashbuckling effort had edged Sussex ahead of the game once more.

The limping Haines returned with a runner, but Andersson had Claydon taken at slip before Murtagh scattered Will Sheffield's stumps to end a fascinating day.

Middlesex debutant seamer Blake Cullen:

"I'm thrilled to have made my debut, a proud moment for me on a ground I know reasonably well, so it wasn't too daunting this morning.

"It was a great feeling to get my cap from Tim Murtagh. He's world class and has been performing consistently for Middlesex for years, so it was a great honour.

"Phil Salt was getting going by the time I came on, so it was a tough start. I felt a lot better in my last spell where it was coming out nicely and it was good to get Finch who was going well."

Sussex head coach Jason Gillespie:

"We're happy with our score. I'm pleased we've got a few more partnerships together than in the last couple of games, so that's a progression. But we're not ticking off those really big partnerships.

"We had Middlesex where we wanted them, and we just need to be ruthless in those situations. It would have been nice to get over 300 and go on to 350-plus, but we'll certainly take what we've got.

"Harry played really well but again he did all the hard work getting to 60 and there was an opportunity for a big hundred there. That is something we need to be better at."

Match report supplied by PA Media.