Sussex close in on win against battling Derbyshire
Sussex bowler Jack Carson has six wickets in the match
- Published
Vitality County Championship Division Two, 1st Central County Ground, Hove (day three)
Sussex 607-8 dec: Hughes 144, Simpson 121, Carson 97; Dupavillon 3-107
Derbyshire 290: Madsen 138; Carson 5-90 & 141-2: Came 54*
Derbyshire (3pts) trail Sussex (8pts) by 176 runs with eight wickets remaining
Sussex go into the final day of their County Championship match against Derbyshire as clear favourites to extend their lead in Division Two with a sixth victory of the season.
But some resolute batting by the visitors second time around gave them an outside chance of saving the game.
In their first innings, Derbyshire had been 24-4 in reply to Sussex’s 607-8 but after being asked to follow-on they ended the third day on 141-2, still 176 behind.
Openers Harry Came and Luis Reece dropped anchor with a first-wicket stand of 46 in 23.4 overs as they saw off the opening burst from Ollie Robinson and Jaydev Unadkat with the Kookaburra ball.
At 29 without loss after 16 overs, Sussex captain John Simpson – influenced by the fading light – switched to his spinners and James Coles made the breakthrough in the 24th over when Reece, sweeping, was caught by Fynn Hudson-Prentice at deep backward square-leg for 27.
Bad light brought a slightly early tea and when play resumed after an hour Brooke Guest was more positive, striking three fours and sweeping Jack Carson for six before he fell lbw on the back foot to the Sussex spinner.
Came and first-innings centurion Wayne Madsen defied the Sussex attack with an unbroken half-century stand, ending the day unbeaten on 54 and 31 respectively.
In an extended morning session Derbyshire had been bowled out for 290, having started the day 429 behind on 178-6.
Madsen, resuming on 79, scored 138, his 38th first-class century and his fourth against Sussex. He faced 210 deliveries, striking 21 fours and three sixes.
Off-spinner Carson, following his nine wickets in the previous match against Yorkshire, had figures of 5-90.
Zak Chappell was lbw to Carson for 25 as he attempted to slog-sweep, having added 54 with Madsen.
Jack Morley lost his middle stump to one that turned sharply from Carson for a seven-ball duck but Madsen found another ally in Daryn Dupavillon, the pair adding 47 for the ninth wicket.
Madsen took the attack to Carson with successive leg-side sixes before hoisting him to deep mid-wicket. Dupavillon was last out, bowled by Henry Crocombe for 28 having hit three fours and two sixes.
Match report by the ECB Reporters' Network
