County Championship: Neser leads Glamorgan's great escape at Sussex

Michael Neser made his first century for Glamorgan to help save the game

Glamorgan's second highest ever innings saw them pull off a great escape against Sussex as they reached 737 all out.

Michael Neser (123) led the final-day resistance with a county-best score after Kiran Carlson fell for a career-best best 192.

Their epic second innings lasted 207.5 overs, spread over more than two days.

Sussex were without England paceman Ollie Robinson (ankle injury) and captain Cheteshwar Pujara (stiff neck).

While Steve Smith's brief stay at Sussex ended in anti-climax despite his fine first innings knock of 89, fellow Australians Marnus Labuschagne and Neser played a major part in salvaging the draw.

Neser hit 15 fours and two sixes, but more importantly batted four and a quarter hours as Sussex's depleted attack, without Robinson, could not take advantage of occasional low bounce.

Glamorgan's score beat their 718-3 against Sussex at Colwyn Bay in 2000, and was only behind last year's 795-5 at Leicester.

It was also the best second-innings score ever made in the UK.

Sussex are second in the Division Two table with one win and five draws, 10 bonus points ahead of Glamorgan who have the same record.

Starting on 499-5, 141 ahead, Glamorgan lost Carlson immediately after reaching his career-best, his six-hour marathon ending as he drilled a return catch to Ari Karvelas.

Chris Cooke made a patient 45 before hitting a Tom Haines half-volley straight to mid-wicket, with Glamorgan seven down at lunch and Sussex hopes of a run-chase still alive.

But the lower order continued to defy Sussex with Timm van der Gugten (14) the only victim of the new ball, caught behind off Karvelas.

James Harris (24) lasted 70 minutes before falling to a brilliant boundary catch by sub Sean Hunt off Smith's occasional spin, Hunt palming the ball infield from high above his head and catching the rebound.

But last man Jamie McIlroy hung around long enough to snuff out any lingering Sussex hopes before Neser was eventually bowled by Smith, leaving Labuschagne to deliver a token over of seam in the home second innings.

Both teams have just four days before going into T20 action, Sussex hosting Somerset on Friday 26 May when Glamorgan are away to Gloucestershire.

Marnus Labuschagne and Neser now depart for Australia's training camp before their matches against India and England, though Glamorgan hope Neser will be available again for a while.

So will Labuschagne return in 2024 for a fifth summer in Wales?

"I love the people I'm playing with and that's what keeps me coming back to the county. I don't want to say any definites, but I love coming back here, my family love it so it's the county I've always played for and I'd like to keep it that way," he told BBC Sport Wales.

Glamorgan acting captain Kiran Carlson:

"It was nice to get some runs and come away with a draw which was a good result for us after day one.

"I left a few out there but it was good to spend more time out there and get another hundred. I'm batting nicely though I struggled for rhythm a bit in the middle (of the block of games) but I'm happy with how I'm going about it.

"It was just going step by step, taking each half an hour at a time and we've managed to get across the line. 'Ness' and the bowlers batted really well and got us there in the end.

"We wanted to get to a stage where we were safe. On another day with different circumstance we could have pushed for a declaration but our bowlers are pretty knackered and to ask them to give it their all again on a flat wicket would have been a bit much."

Sussex & Australia batter Steve Smith said:

"It's been good fun (playing for Sussex), in the three games we got ourselves in winning positions in all of them but just weren't able to get over the line. A few of the games have been affected by rain, but we haven't been able to nail it.

"I've really enjoyed my time, a great bunch of guys, bright players with good futures.

"I would have preferred to see Marnus getting out, but he played nicely, his game's in good order so hopefully he's got a successful summer ahead."

Sussex coach Paul Farbrace:

"We are getting our bonus points for bowling a team out once, but we're not capable of doing it twice, and that's an area we've got to improve on.

"With Puj [Chet Pujara] going off to play in the World Test Championship and then to the West Indies with India, we have the opportunity to bring another overseas player in, and I hope we can announce that in the next week.. it's a bowler."

Glamorgan coach Matthew Maynard:

"It won't be just about attacking cricket (towards the end of the season, I think we'll see wickets change and become result wickets.

"I thought last summer was a great advert for the county game with good pitches, but the points system has changed with less value for a draw against a win, so I can see it going back to games being over in two or two and a half days.

"We've seen too much of that in the last ten years and there are no consequences, I think we have to be really careful in the game."