County Championship: Sussex bowlers on top against Glamorgan

Glamorgan's Billy Root has 473 Championship runs at an average of over 50

Sussex's bowlers dominated in Cardiff as Glamorgan were dismissed for just 242 with the visitors reaching 65-1 in reply.

Australian seamer Nathan McAndrew (4-58) and off-spinner Jack Carson (3-45) were the most successful bowlers.

Billy Root's 66 was the Glamorgan top score as they struggled for stands.

It was the first day using the Kookaburra ball, but Glamorgan could make little impression in the evening session.

Australian leg-spinner Mitch Swepson made his Glamorgan debut, bowling seven tight overs towards the close and having Tom Clark dropped at slip.

Glamorgan chose to bat first but were left regretting their decision as Henry Shipley claimed two early wickets against the stand-in Glamorgan top order.

Sam Northeast (17) started confidently before nicking Nathan McAndrew to Oli Carter, while opener Andrew Salter battled to 22 but was bowled through the gate by Ari Karvelas.

Kiran Carlson had been dropped at slip on 10 but could not profit as he fell for 27 shortly after lunch to McAndrew's effort ball which again found the edge to Carter.

Root and Chris Cooke (23) added 59 before Cooke played down the wrong line to off-spinner Jack Carson as Glamorgan failed to put together any substantial partnership.

Root was seventh out, striking 11 fours before charging at Carson and giving Carter a simple stumping chance.

Timm van der Gugten gave further evidence of his improving batting credentials with 44 not out, but ran out of partners as McAndrew and Carson finished them off quickly after tea.

Left 22 overs to bat, Sussex lost Tom Haines lbw to Glamorgan's leading wicket-taker Van der Gugten but Clark (32 not out) and Tom Alsop (27 not out) put together a useful stand.

Swepson bowled a testing first spell for his new county without reward as Sussex closed out the day successfully.

Glamorgan batter Billy Root said:

"Having won the toss and batted on what was generally a pretty good wicket, we feel we were a bit under par. This new (Kookaburra) ball did offer a bit for 30-odd overs but then it started to get flat, and a lot of the damage was done by then.

"The ball wasn't a great deal different, other than it felt a bit lighter off the bat. From what we could see, it holds its shape a little better, swung a little bit early on for both sides, but as the innings goes on it flattens out a bit more.

"It's always nice to contribute on a personal level but I was disappointed with getting in and then getting out in that situation with Timm playing so nicely. I'd like to go on and make a big score but I felt good while I was out there."

Sussex pace bowler Nathan McAndrew told BBC Radio Sussex:

"it was a good toss to win for Glamorgan, so to bowl them out and have a few runs on the board is a great start for us.

"They (Kookaburra and Dukes) are completely different balls, they behave really differently. The Dukes swing a lot moire and the Kookaburra doesn't stay very hard for long.

"It was an abrasive surface and I was surprised at how the ball isn't as hard as the Dukes, after about 16-17 overs it lost a lot of hardness but we were able to have them three or four down by that point, and Jack Carson bowled beautifully to tie up one end and leave the quicks bowl down-breeze.

"it's the kind of wicket where if you get past 25 overs with the bat without too much damage, you can really cash in."