Sussex v Leicestershire: Scores and match report

Match scores (Arundel)

Sussex won by 231 runs 

Sussex 1st inns: 262 (Van Zyl 49, Wells 42, Jordan 34; McKay 4-59, Pillans 3-63)
Sussex 2nd inns: 443-6 dec (Van Zyl 166*, Brown 67, Wright 60, Wells 43; McKay 2-62, Pillans 2-77)

Leicestershire 1st inns: 281 (Hill 49, Cosgrove 41; Archer 3-51, Jordan 3-66)
Leicestershire 2nd inns: 193 (Horton 35, Ackerman 43, Hill 35; Archer 4-30)

Day four report

Sussex will go into the Specsavers County Championship break still in the hunt for promotion from Division Two after completing a 231-run win over bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire at Arundel.

After Danny Briggs took a wicket in the first over on the final day Sussex had to be patient, but once skipper Mark Cosgrove was fourth out at 124, Leicestershire folded.

They lost their last seven wickets in 23 overs for 70 runs to leave them still searching for their first win of the season.

The wickets were shared around but the match-defining spell was bowled after lunch by Chris Jordan, who took two for 14 in a five-over burst in which he got the ball to reverse swing to remove Cosgrove (20) and Ned Eckersley (12).

With an end opened up, Jofra Archer and leg-spinner Will Beer piled through.

Archer, who took 11 wickets when Sussex won at Grace Road last month, picked up seven more in the match including four for 30 in the second innings.

Only wicketkeeper Lewis Hill, who made 35, offered much resistance as Leicestershire were dismissed for 193 in 69.1 overs.

Leicestershire began the day on 36 for nought needing an improbable 425 and they suffered an immediate setback when Arun Harinath was caught off a top-edge for 17.

Paul Horton and Colin Ackermann dug in to put on 52 with the latter twice lofting Briggs over the top for six.

But Archer returned to the attack before lunch to pick up both batsmen. Horton was lbw in the second over of his spell and Ackermann, who top-scored with 43, nicked off.

With only three wickets down Leicestershire might have harboured hopes of saving the game at lunch but Jordan produced a decisive burst.

Cosgrove was beaten by late movement then Eckersley lost his off-stump playing no shot.

The gutsy Hill apart, the rest came quietly. Will Fazakerley endured a pair on his first-class debut when he gave a catch to Chris Nash at short leg.

Nash had earlier spent time off the field when he was hit on the knee by Cosgrove.

Rob Sayer (eight) was lbw to a ball which kept low and Matt Pillans gloved Archer's bouncer to the keeper before Clint McKay drove Beer to short mid-wicket.

Last man Richard Jones helped Hill but on 26 for the last wicket but they were futile blows and Abi Sakande wrapped up victory on the stroke of tea when he had Hill lbw for 35.

Day three report

Sussex are favourites to claim their third win in their last four Specsavers County Championship games after an unbeaten 166 by Stiaan van Zyl left Leicestershire reeling at Arundel.

The South African was well supported by Luke Wright and Ben Brown, who both made half-centuries, before Jofra Archer smashed 42 off 14 balls to take Sussex to 443 for six declared.

That left Leicestershire needing 425 to claim their first win of the season and openers Arun Harinath and Paul Horton got through 10 overs before stumps to close on 36 without loss, needing 389 for victory on the final day.

Van Zyl had come to the wicket when Sussex's advantage was only 64 after Luke Wells (43) was lbw to Matt Pillans. Harry Finch, trapped in his crease by Clint McKay, went for 18 with only four more runs added and Sussex 87 for three, but Leicestershire's day went downhill from there.

Van Zyl gave one chance on 35 which should have been taken, but Richard Jones dropped an easy catch at cover off Will Fazackerley's first ball and the 29-year-old, who played 12 Tests before joining Sussex on a three-year Kolpak deal in the winter, made them pay.

He did the hard yards in assessing the vagaries of a pitch offering some erratic bounce and then began to drive confidently through the off side, collecting the majority of his 24 boundaries between cover and mid-off.

His stand of 135 in 40 overs with Wright, who hit eight fours in his 110-ball 60, put Sussex in the driving seat and there was no loss of momentum when Wright hooked to deep square leg.

Skipper Brown was at his busy and effective best, turning ones into twos and employing some effective back-foot shots against a tiring attack. There was some rough for Leicestershire's three spinners to work with but none made much of an impression as Brown and Van Zyl added 146 in 28 overs to build a strong position.

Van Zyl passed his previous best for Sussex - 147 against Durham in May - and although Brown was pinned in front by a shooter from Jones after scoring 67 in 80 balls with eight boundaries, there was no end to the suffering for a Leicestershire attack who have failed to bowl a side out twice in the Championship this season.

Archer thrashed off-spinner Rob Sayer for three sixes in an over before hoisting Fazackerley over long leg. He also struck three fours in a violent cameo before Sussex pulled out with Van Zyl on 166 from 252 balls with 24 fours. Batting for over five hours in the energy-sapping heat was as impressive a statistic.

Day two report 

Sussex have a slight advantage over a Leicestershire side looking for their first win of the season after two fluctuating days of their Specsavers County Championship match at Arundel.

The hosts conceded a first-innings deficit of 19 after bowling out Leicestershire for 281 but they got through 20 overs before stumps losing only one wicket.

Chris Nash (21) was lbw to Clint McKay but Luke Wells and Harry Finch took their side to 74 for one at stumps - a lead of 55.

With two spinners in their team on a pitch already showing signs of wear, Sussex will fancy their chances of claiming a third win in four games if they can chisel out a lead of 250 or more.

Events had followed a similar pattern to the first day, with plenty of Leicestershire batsmen getting set without anyone going on to play the decisive innings that would have put them in control.

No batsman has made a half-century yet, although Wells, who has played well so far for his 39, will fancy his chances on the third day.

Slow left-armer Danny Briggs (one for 49) and leg-spinner Will Beer (two for 53) bowled 39 overs between them.

There was some rough to exploit, particularly for Briggs who had Mark Cosgrove, Leicestershire's left-handed captain, in all sorts of trouble during the best passage of play.

Cosgrove (40) was dropped twice on 27 and survived a loud appeal for a catch at the wicket before eventually pushing forward and getting a thin edge to a ball which turned just enough.

Beer snared debutant Will Fazakerley padding up to a googly for a second-ball duck before ending the innings when he bowled Richard Jones for six.

But Leicestershire's last two wickets had added 55, which might turn out to be crucial, while Lewis Hill's 49 held their middle and lower order together at times when it looked as if Sussex were about to take control.

Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer both bowled 24 overs, a commendable effort in the pitiless heat, and each took two more wickets.

Archer, who took 11 wickets when the sides met at Grace Road last month, ended a stand of 70 between Cosgrove and Colin Ackermann for the third wicket when Ackermann (40) gloved one down the leg side.

He then returned after lunch to bowl Ned Eckersley through the gate for 35 after he had put on 50 either side of lunch with Hill.

Jordan eventually induced Hill to drive to cover for 49, made in a shade under two hours, and two balls later had Matt Pillans held at second slip while Abi Sakande bowled Rob Sayer through the gate for 31.

That left the Foxes on 226 for eight but McKay chanced his arm to make an unbeaten 32 with five fours that gave them a small first-innings advantage. 

Day one report

Bowlers dominated on a fluctuating first day at Arundel where Clint McKay's four wickets gave Leicestershire hope that they can win their first game of the season in the Specsavers County Championship.

The wholehearted Australian fast bowler picked up four for 59 in searing heat at Arundel as Sussex were bowled out for 262 and appeared to have squandered the advantage of winning the toss.

But a two-paced pitch, which is expected to turn, gave seamers assistance all day and Sussex's new-ball pair of Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer each picked up one of the Leicestershire openers as they closed on 77 for two.

It was a day to remember for Leicestershire's 19-year-old debutant Will Fazackerley. Guernsey-born but educated just down the road from Arundel at Lancing College, he claimed his maiden Championship wicket when he had Jordan lbw for 34.

Jordan was one of several Sussex players who got starts without pushing on. Six of their batsmen got to 20 but only South African Stiaan van Zyl, who top-scored with 49, looked capable of dominating a persevering Leicestershire attack.

Van Zyl shared in a fourth-wicket stand of 62 in 12 overs either side of lunch with Luke Wright, whose first scoring shot for the second successive game was a six.

But from 138 for three Sussex lost three wickets for just 27 runs. Wright played on to Richard Jones for 29, van Zyl was lbw half-forward to McKay after hitting nine fours before skipper Ben Brown drove the seamer's slower ball to cover for 18.

Jordan and leg-spinner Will Beer, who took 11 wickets at Arundel last month against South Africa A, put on 54 for the seventh wicket but Leicestershire wrapped up the innings with three scalps after tea, two of them to Matt Pillans.

Earlier, Luke Wells had passed 700 Championship runs after being restored to the top of the order. The left-hander lost opening partner Chris Nash, who played on to McKay, before Harry Finch fell for a golden duck shuffling in front to a ball from Jones which nipped back.

Wells and van Zyl briefly prospered together, taking the score to 74 before Wells, who had struck eight fours in a fluent 42, was caught behind off Pillans.

By then umpire Martin Saggers was on the pitch, his arrival having been delayed by traffic congestion. Martin Bodenham, who retired from the first-class list last season but lives in nearby Ferring, stood at square-leg before Saggers arrived.