Hughes puts Sussex in strong position against Derbys
Australian Daniel Hughes hit 144 to score his first century for Sussex
- Published
Vitality County Championship Division Two, 1st Central County Ground, Hove (day one)
Sussex 391-4: Hughes 144, Haines 72, Alsop 69*
Derbyshire yet to bat
Sussex 3 pts, Derbyshire 1pt
Australian Daniel Hughes made 144 as County Championship Second Division leaders Sussex established a strong position after day one against Derbyshire at Hove.
Openers Hughes and Tom Haines put on 196 in 36 overs. After Hughes departed Haines made 72 and Tom Alsop hit an unbeaten 69 as Sussex closed on 391-4.
It was not until deep into the second session, when spinners David Lloyd and Jack Morley operated in tandem, that the run-rate dipped below five an over but by then Sussex had taken control.
Hughes offered one chance on 35 when he drove at Zak Chappell, but Wayne Madsen could not hold on to the edge diving to his right at second slip, and by lunch the two left-handers had plundered 161 from 28 overs, targeting the short boundary on the scoreboard side.
Hughes duly eased to his first hundred for Sussex just after lunch and it was a surprise when he fell for 144 off 142 balls.
South African Daryn Dupavillon speared a delivery outside off stump which Hughes could have ignored, but instead under-edged to keeper Brooke Guest.
Haines had already departed for a fluent 72 when Chappell tempted him into a loose drive and this time Madsen held on at slip while Tom Clark, one of the five left-handers in Sussex’s top six, squandered a promising start when left-arm spinner Morley found extra bounce and the edge looped to slip high off the bat.
But by then Alsop was easing to his seventh half-century of the season as he added 66 for the fourth wicket with James Coles, who looked untroubled until he played across the line to off-spinner Lloyd.
Alsop had put on 39 for the fifth wicket with captain John Simpson, who was dropped by Madsen off Dupavillon on 21 late in the day.
Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.
