County Championship: Sussex last pair defy Glamorgan

New Zealand’s Henry Shipley was recruited as a bowler but survived 56 deliveries in the final session

Glamorgan were denied their second win of the Championship season as Sussex's last pair of Oli Carter (55 not out) and Henry Shipley survived the final 128 balls.

The visitors, set an improbable 359 to win on a slow pitch, finished on 273-9.

Australian Mitch Swepson claimed 4-89 on debut while seamers James Harris and Jamie McIlroy took two apiece.

Sussex only briefly threatened to mount a serious chase in mid-afternoon through Nathan McAndrew (42).

Both sides have one win and seven draws in Division Two, with Sussex remaining 10 bonus points ahead of Glamorgan, though they have slipped to third, one point behind Leicestershire.

It was the second match between the two sides to provide drama in a draw, after Glamorgan batted more than two days to survive in Hove.

Sussex resumed at 27-1 overnight, but the task of scoring 332 in a day after a slow-scoring game looked tough, although night-watchman Ari Karvelas was the only wicket to fall in a morning session halved by rain.

Tom Alsop (14) was given lbw to James Harris's first ball, and leg-spinner Swepson pinned Tom Clark leg-before for an obdurate 42 to leave Sussex in trouble at 95-4.

But the elevation of all-rounder McAndrew changed the tempo as he clubbed 42 off 40 balls before holing out off Jamie McIlroy.

Sussex seemed to have suddenly changed their tactics mid-innings as James Coles (35) also went on the attack, but was superbly caught by wicketkeeper Chris Cooke, standing up to seamer McIlroy.

Dan Ibrahim (11) top-edged a Swepson long-hop to mid-wicket and Sussex were seven down at tea, with the required run-rate in the last session standing at 4.66.

Glamorgan's bowling changes continude to work out in the gathering gloom as Harris yorked Fynn Hudson-Prentice for 12 and Timm van der Gugten had Jack Carson caught at square-leg for 16.

That left Glamorgan as overwhelming favourites, but their hopes ebbed away as Carter and Shipley dug in with determination.

Carter was dropped off difficult chances at mid-wicket and slip on 38 and 48, with Shipley showing skills belying his position as last man.

It was left to Carter to play out the last over from Swepson with eight Glamorgan fielders clustered round the bat, hoping in vain for another chance.

The two teams, both out of contention for the T20 Blast quarter-finals, have two more short-format games apiece before returning to Championship action on Monday, 10 July.

Glamorgan captain Kiran Carlson told BBC Sport Wales:

"It's a feeling of disappointment, after we took the seventh wicket we thought we were in with a really good shout, but with the drizzle around we didn't get much spin out of the wicket although Sweppo (Swepson) and Salts (Andrew Salter) bowled really well.

"We bowled phenomenally well to be in with a chance of winning that game after our first innings, and big kudos to the bowlers who put in a massive shift.

"As soon as they shut up shop and decided they weren't going to go for it, it was going to be tough for us. When they had a sniff and thought they could potentially go for it, they gave more chances.

"We're right in the mix, 10 points behind second (in Division Two). We're one win away from being right up there."

Sussex batter Oli Carter told BBC Radio Sussex:

"In the end a draw's a good result for us, but we've got to say we were pretty poor in patches with the bat. We could have won if we'd batted well first innings and took all our chances.

"We were always looking to win, all we've talked about all season is winning games so it would be silly if we went out and blocked from ball one.

"Putting Macca (McAndrew) up the order made a difference and showed that we were willing to win the game by risking losing.

"We were always thinking about winning until Shippers came in at the end, then we spoke about it and we were always going to shut up shop from there.

"Having Henry at 11, I don't think you'll find many better 11s than him - he's got a very strong defence."