Matt Parkinson strikes on Durham return to fire promotion push

Matt Parkinson claimed four wickets and took a brilliant catch to hand promotion-chasing Durham a strong start to their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash after bowling out Sussex for 266 on day one.

Sussex openers Tom Haines and Tom Clark put on 110 for the opening stand in a wicketless first session for the hosts. But, Parkinson turned the momentum of the day by removing Haines for 51 with a sensational diving grab before he tore through the middle order, including the prized wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara.

Tom Alsop top-scored with 59 for the visitors, but Ben Raine and Matthew Potts were on their mettle with the new ball to clean up the Sussex tail, who lost all 10 wickets for 156 runs in the afternoon and evening sessions.

The visitors won the toss and elected the bat on the same wicket used in England's T20I win over New Zealand on Wednesday. Haines struggled to get off the mark, enduring a 21-ball wait to notch his first runs of the morning. Those runs came with the element of fortune edging a Potts delivery through the slip cordon to the boundary.

Clark battled the Durham attack and took a blow from Potts to the body. His composure took a slight knock when Bas de Leede found his outside edge, but Robinson put down the opener on 22 with a sharp chance to his left.

The Sussex openers found their timing as the morning progressed, ending the first session solidly by bringing up the century stand. Haines secured his fifth half-century of the term by striking Raine's first ball of the afternoon through cover to the fence. Clark followed suit with his fifty from 99 deliveries, presenting the visitors with a promising platform.

But, Parkinson led the Durham fightback in the afternoon session as Sussex lost four wickets for 52 runs. First in the field, he claimed a brilliant diving catch at fine leg running 20 yards to dismiss Haines for 51. He then struck with his first ball from the Lumley End, prising out Clark for 58 as Potts secured the catch at first slip.

Parkinson's accuracy and drift caused Pujara problems as the India international survived a stumping appeal from Robinson before he drilled the next delivery straight to Graham Clark at short cover. The procession continued from Sussex with James Coles handing Parkinson his third on a pitch proving more than helpful for the spinners on the first day.

Parkinson's day could have improved further, but he put down a quick return chance from Alsop on 24. The Sussex man made the most of his reprieve and pressed on to his third half-century of the season, sharing a vital stand of 59 with Oli Carter. George Drissell broke the partnership with his first wicket in first-class cricket for Durham, earning his reward for a tight line.

Durham turned a solid day into an impressive outing after taking the new ball. Raine ended Alsop's resistance for 59, earning his 50th wicket of the season as the left-hander became the third Sussex batter to reach fifty and fail to kick on.

Potts collected his first two wickets of the day to remove Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Jack Carson, while Parkinson closed out the Sussex innings as Jaydev Unadkat was caught on the fence. The visitors lost their final five wickets for just 19 runs, failing to capitalise on the platform provided by Haines and Clark at the top of the order. Durham ended the evening six without loss, 260 behind Sussex heading into day two.