Sussex face testing final day
Worcestershire gave themselves a chance of claiming their third Championship win of the season after they set Sussex 337 to win at Horsham
12-Aug-2011
Worcestershire gave themselves a chance of claiming their third Championship win of the season after they set Sussex 337 to win at Horsham. It looks a tall order on a dry pitch offering assistance to the spinners and if Worcestershire do get the victory - which would improve their chances of avoiding relegation - they will be indebted to last-wicket pair Ben Scott and Alan Richardson.
Wicketkeeper Scott made an unbeaten 36 but the revelation was last man Richardson, who drove the Sussex attack to distraction. Having only made one first-class 50 in a career which began in 1995, the 36-year-old seamer has no pretensions as a batsman but he cut and carved his way to 41 from 31 balls with six fours and two sixes in a stand of 56 from 46 deliveries.
Sussex had seven overs to negotiate before stumps and they lost Joe Gatting, whose leg stump was knocked back by a delivery from Ajmal which turned sharply. They closed on 17 for 1 and will need 320 to win on the last day.
Sussex plugged away throughout the day and their two most consistent bowlers this season, James Anyon and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, always offered the biggest threat. Anyon struck in the first over when Daryl Mitchell played on but Sussex had just one more success before lunch when Vikram Solanki misjudged the line of a delivery from Panesar which drifted into his pads and was leg before for 31.
After lunch opener Matt Pardoe wasted 45 overs of watchful batting by driving Panesar loosely to mid-on and Worcestershire lost their fifth wicket three overs later when debutant Aneesh Kapil, who was dropped first ball, cut to point in Kirk Wernars' first over.
Gareth Andrew was taken at slip in the last over before tea as offspinner Luke Wells struck before Moeen Ali, who had top scored in Worcestershire's first innings, became Wells' second victim when he top-edged having made 68 in two and a half hours off 137 balls. Ali again drove the ball fluently, particularly through the off side, and struck six fours and two sixes.
When Anyon took the new ball he immediately had Ajmal lbw to a nip-backer while Jack Shantry became Panesar's fourth victim and 54th of the season. At that stage the lead was 280 but Richardson and Scott's counter-attacking partnership for the last wicket gave their side the edge with a day to go.
