Archer sharpens Sussex ambition

Sussex 111 for 1 (Nash 62*) trail Glamorgan 252 (Wallace 61, Wagg 57, Archer 4-91) by 141 runs
Scorecard

Luke Wright's decision to insert Glamorgan paid dividends as they fell for a below par 252 in 60.1 overs, before Chris Nash and Ed Joyce compiled an opening partnership of 111 that kept Sussex's hopes of a late promotion challenge simmering. Sussex trailed by 142 at the end of the first day and are well placed to gain a substantial lead on first innings.

Not for the first time this season Glamorgan relied on their middle and late order batsmen to get them out of trouble, slumping to 56 for 5 before lunch. The last five wickets added 196 runs with Graham Wagg and Mark Wallace scoring half centuries and Owen Morgan, who last week scored an undefeated 103 as night watchman against Worcestershire, again impressing with 32 not out.

Jofra Archer, a former West Indies U-19 player whose breakthrough in all three formats in the past month has won a contract until the end of next season, achieved career-best championship figures of 4 for 91, but he will bowl better than this and be less rewarded.

Nick Selman, who three weeks ago carried his bat against Northants, scoring 122 not out, was out to the fifth ball of the innings, and has now failed to score in four successive innings. He was quickly followed by Jacques Rudolph, whose miserable season continued when he gloved an innocuous delivery from Archer down the leg side to the wicketkeeper.

The Sussex seamers continued to take wickets, but Glamorgan's batsmen contributed to their downfall with some poor shot selection - Will Bragg following one from Steve Magoffin and David Lloyd, who struck his first ball for six, nudging to slip.

Wagg and Aneurin Donald began Glamorgan's revival with a partnership of 50, before Donald played on to Archer, and although Craig Meschede was out soon afterwards, Wagg went on to score 57 with ten boundaries before giving David Wiese a return catch.

Wallace top scored with 61 from 59 balls, putting on 44 with Wagg and 62 with Morgan who surely deserves promotion in the batting order from No. 9. He shared a stand of 33 for the last wicket with Michael Hogan that enabled Glamorgan to gain two batting points.

The green pitch was soon put into perspective by Nash and Joyce, who were soon into their stride, striking nine boundaries from the opening 12 overs, as Glamorgan's opening bowlers Craig Meschede and Timm Van Der Gugten failed to make any impact.

Nash reached his fifty from 89 balls, but Joyce nibbled at one from Meschede three overs before the close, having completed his thousand runs for the season.