County Championship: Brilliant century from Tom Haines saves Sussex against Lancashire
- Published
Ollie Robinson and Tom Haines posted Sussex's best-ever seventh-wicket partnership against Lancashire
County Championship Group Three, Emirates Old Trafford (day one): |
Sussex 291-9: Haines 155, Robinson 59; Bailey 3-41 |
Lancashire: Yet to bat |
Lancashire 3 pts, Sussex 2 pts |
A career-best 155 from batsman Tom Haines helped Sussex recover from a dreadful start against Lancashire.
The visitors were reduced to 14-3 in the first hour, with both Stiaan van Zyl and Tom Clark out for nought.
However, Haines, who had also hit a ton in the final game of last season, kept his head and batted wonderfully to reach three figures off 177 balls.
He was supported by all-rounder Ollie Robinson (59) in a stand of 126 as Sussex finished on a creditable 291-9.
Despite the early batting collapse, it ended up being a record-breaking day for the visitors as Haines comfortably beat his highest first-class score of 124 and his seventh-wicket partnership with Robinson was Sussex's best against Lancashire.
It had looked like being a memorable day for all the wrong reasons when Aaron Thompson, Van Zyl and Clark went for a combined three runs.
Haines, 22, helped them recover from 14-3 to 127-6 before Robinson joined him at the crease and they pulled the visitors into a decent position.
Stuart Meaker ended day one on 27 not out and Ian Salisbury's men will hope to get the nine more runs they need for the third batting bonus point.
Lancashire fast bowler Tom Bailey:
"We're just about on top. We knew it was a good pitch, especially for this time of year and we were going to bat first as well.
"Five degrees and blowing a gale is hardly a bowler's dream but the lads put in a really solid day's work.
"I've had a few niggles coming into this game so it was nice to get 20 overs in and feel fresh. We bowled really well and probably could have taken a few more.
"You're battling when a guy gets 150 and we're probably kicking ourselves that we dropped Haines."
Sussex centurion Tom Haines:
"It was a tough day, we had to graft for our runs and I'm chuffed to bits with that score. They gave us nothing in that first spell.
"I was lucky when that chance went down but we're a club that really needs to stick together and show fight.
"Ollie Robinson helped me but so did Delray Rawlins. You get into trouble if you go searching on 99 and I just had to wait for the bad ball.
"The career-best wasn't on my mind but then I heard a clap on 125 and I thought 'oh it's that one'."