Simpson ton keeps Sussex in command against Worcs

Sussex's John Simpson registered his fourth hundred of a memorable Division One campaign

Rothesay County Championship Division One, Visit Worcestershire New Road, Worcester (day two)

Worcestershire 123: Lategan 41; Robinson 6-68; & 270-6: Libby 72; Robinson 2-67

Sussex 350: Simpson 129*, Coles 102; Taylor 4-106, Allison 3-104

Worcestershire (3 pts) lead Sussex (6 pts) by 43 runs

Match scorecard

John Simpson's unbeaten 129 and six second innings Worcestershire wickets kept Sussex in command on day two of the County Championship clash at Visit Worcestershire New Road.

A glistening fourth century of the season from the away side's skipper saw Sussex add 122 runs to their overnight score, before they were bowled out for 350.

With a deficit of 227, Jake Libby (72) and Rehaan Edavalath (45) added a century stand for the first wicket to throw the Pears a lifeline.

Six wickets across the second half of the day however saw Worcestershire cling onto a slender lead of 43 runs heading into the third day with just four wickets intact.

A resplendent morning at Visit Worcestershire New Road saw the home side land the first blow of the day when Tom Taylor bowled Jack Carson in the first over of the morning.

A 53rd wicket of a remarkable season followed soon after for Taylor as Danny Lamb feathered a nick through to Rob Jones at second slip, to check the visitors progress at 245-7.

Not-out John Simpson registered his fourth hundred of a memorable Division One campaign, reaching the milestone in 138 balls and scoring 18 boundaries in the process, shortly after Ollie Robinson had departed for a brisk 24.

Simpson kicked on as the visitors reached 350 and strengthened their grip on the match, before Matthew Waite's introduction into the attack saw him take two wickets in four balls as he dismissed both Karvelas (20) and Unadkat (0), with Sussex all-out for 350 possessing a healthy lead of 227.

Simpson finished unbeaten on 129, with his 19th first-class century the standout innings of the game.

Jake Libby surpassed 1,000 first class runs for the season in the County Championship early into the afternoon session as the Worcestershire reply got off to a cautious start.

The shackles were freed by Libby however, as he moved through the gears with some dismissive pull shots through midwicket as Sussex's opening bowlers grafted to no avail in the sunshine.

Libby pressed on in fine style, reaching a third Division One half-century of the season in just 63 deliveries, as he and Edavalath added 113 for the first wicket on a pitch showing signs of flattening.

Edavalath made 45 and Libby a superb 72, before the pair were dismissed inside four overs of one another, with Edavalath first LBW off a straightening Unadkat delivery and Libby following soon after having edged a ball behind to Coles at slip to give the Indian seam bowler his second of the innings.

Ollie Robinson collected his first wicket of the innings when he hurried Isaac Mohammed with a short ball to dismiss the teenager for four.

First-innings top scorer Dan Lategan and number five Rob Jones came together midway through the afternoon to add 63 for the fourth wicket with the hosts working hard to find a foothold in the game.

Despite making it to the tea interval unscathed, Tom Haines ended the partnership in the 46th over of Worcestershire's reply, as he pinned Lategan LBW for 30, with the hosts still 40 runs in arrears.

Rob Jones produced a gritty knock of 46, with Worcestershire heading towards the close at parity, but his wicket and the dismissal of Ethan Brookes (29) handed Sussex back the initiative late on.

Match report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay