Northamptonshire 95 for two (Seales 2-33) vs Sussex
Northamptonshire had the higher of the half day’s play that was attainable on the opening of the Vitality County Championship match at Hove. They misplaced the toss however their batters battled laborious and reached 95 for two when unhealthy mild – with no possibility for floodlights – drove the gamers from the sphere simply after 6pm.
He opened the bowling down the hill after new Sussex captain John Simpson had gained the toss and chosen to bowl beneath sullen skies. It was shocking that Robinson was taken off after bowling simply 4 overs – his figures have been 4-1-9-0 however his workload is being managed at this stage of the season.
When Robinson opened the bowling once more after tea he was much more spectacular, with a spell of 5-3-5-0, and appeared again to his finest speeds. The one frustration for Robinson, and the opposite Sussex bowlers, was that there was so little motion with the Kookaburra ball.
Northants captain Luke Procter confirmed his intent when he pulled Seales over the square-leg boundary for a nonchalant six. And Procter was given strong assist by makeshift opener Justin Broad on the different finish. Broad performed a superb back-foot drive by the covers for 4 off Danny Lamb, the allrounder who – together with Seales and Simpson – was one in every of three gamers making his first-class debut for Sussex.
At tea, Northants had reached 58 for 1 from 24 overs, with Broad on 23 and Procter 29 not out. After the interval, it was once more Seales who made the breakthrough, having Broad, who was solely half-forward, lbw for 27, to make it 66 for two. Broad had hit 5 good-looking fours in his 76-ball innings.
However Procter and Karun Nair – who scored such a formidable 150 in opposition to Surrey at The Oval final season – carried Northants to the shut with none additional loss.
