Gorvin grabs five-wicket haul as Glamorgan beat Sussex
Andy Gorvin was playing his first Championship match of the season
- Published
Vitality County Championship Division Two, Sophia Gardens, (day three)
Sussex 278: Hamza 4-70, Harris 4-93 & 188: Hudson-Prentice 70, Coles 61*; Gorvin 5-40, Hamza 3-34
Glamorgan 411: Ingram 170, Carlson 148; Seales 5-101 & 58-1: Root 36*
Glamorgan (23 pts) beat Sussex (4 pts) by nine wickets
A maiden five-wicket haul from Glamorgan seam bowler Andy Gorvin took his team to a nine-wicket win over Division Two leaders Sussex in Cardiff.
The visitors were rushed out for 188, despite70 from Fynn Hudson-Prentice and 61 not out from James Coles.
Pakistan’s Mir Hamza took 3-34 as Sussex hit early trouble in their second innings.
Despite a thunderstorm, Glamorgan were left needing just 56 to win and got there in 7.5 overs.
It was their first win in 13 Championship matches, 12 of which were drawn, while Sussex remain top of the table despite the reverse.
The home side were also grateful to their ground-staff for mopping up rapidly after the storm, which caused a 90-minute delay.
Glamorgan’s first innings lasted just two more rather pointless deliveries on the third morning before Hamza ran himself out trying to get off strike, but that only hastened his assault with the ball.
Hamza roared in from the River Taff end to remove Sussex’s three left-handed Toms, Clark, Haines and Alsop in successive overs with a hint of swing in slightly humid conditions.
Then medium-pacer Gorvin got a little lift with his first delivery to star man Cheteshwar Pujara who was judged to have edged behind.
Three balls later Gorvin found some movement to visitors’ captain John Simpson, who was lbw to complete a pair.
Five wickets had gone for 10 runs, but Hudson-Prentice and Coles were undaunted as they counter-attacked hard.
Hudson-Prentice smashed 10 fours and a six as they added 118 for the sixth wicket to take the visitors ahead, but Gorvin broke the stand as Hudson-Prentice drove high to mid-wicket and Zain Ul Hassan took a leaping catch.
Gorvin, bowling skiddy wicket-to-wicket seam, won lbw shouts against Danny Lamb and Jack Carson in quick succession to complete his five-for and an early birthday present, two days before he turns 27.
But with a storm on the horizon, the players were taken off in mid-afternoon and the square covered minutes before the storm hit, with flashes of lightning and thunder rolling round the Welsh capital.
In bright evening sunshine. leg-spinner Mason Crane wrapped up the innings with the eighth and ninth balls after the resumption, leaving Coles stranded.
In the Glamorgan second innings Eddie Byrom hit a rapid 21 before falling to Ari Karvelas but Billy Root, with 36 not out, helped Glamorgan race to victory with around an hour to spare.
Glamorgan’s Andy Gorvin told BBC Sport Wales:
“We knew Sussex were top of the table and we had to be at our best, and we’ve played some really good cricket over the last few days and deserve our win. Mir taking three wickets with the new ball opened up the game, we took a couple more with the newie then James Coles and Fynn Hudson-Prentice batted really well so we had to be disciplined.
“It’s my first five-for so it feels good but it’s a team game and I’m just happy to contribute to the win. I’ve been waiting for the opportunity, hopefully more to come.”
Glamorgan coach Grant Bradburn added:
“The first four games were hard-earned draws, I’m really pleased where the skills are at and I can’t fault the desire, but accepting draws didn’t sit well with us, and we took it on ourselves to take charge.
“We want headaches in selection, and we’ve got some, not only with the overseas professionals (Colin Ingram, Mir Hamza and Marnus Labuschagne) but we’ve got other guys putting their hands up.”
Sussex coach Paul Farbrace told BBC Sussex Sport:
“It was a pretty ordinary performance, three days where we’ve been outplayed and they showed us how to bat and bowl on that surface. I don’t think we were too cocky and arrogant but at times we didn’t show enough respect to the game and to the pitch.
“Jayden Seales has bowled really well this season, we’ve got a good group and we’ve played good cricket for four games, but this game Glamorgan deserved to win.”