Brown's hundred sparks up Sussex

Gloucestershire 229 and 88 for 3 trail Sussex 435 (Brown 118*, Shaw 5-79) by 118 runs
Scorecard

Ben Brown's unbeaten century has put Sussex in a commanding position after three days of their Specsavers' County Championship game against Gloucestershire at the Brightside Ground, Bristol.

Unbeaten overnight, the 27-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman played the leading role in partnerships of 52 with Philip Salt, 40 with Chris Jordan, 47 with Ollie Robinson and 85 with Jofra Archer as Sussex built a first innings lead of 206.

Having been finally bowled out for 435 - Brown unbeaten on 118 - Sussex took three Gloucestershire wickets in the final session to leave the host county 118 runs behind with seven second innings wickets remaining.

Sussex, who began the day on 208 for 4, lost their first wicket of the morning in the 74th over - Salt caught by wicket keeper Phil Mustard off the bowling of Craig Miles for 42.

Chris Jordan helped himself to 19 before he became Miles' second wicket of the day at 278 for 6 and Ollie Robinson scored 20 before he edged Miles to Mustard at 325 for 7.

At the other end, Brown plugged away and posted his half century off 75 balls with five fours. He continued in the same vain thereafter and finally reached three figures off 141 deliveries with 15 boundaries.

It was an innings that not only combined skill and strong hitting, but one that put Sussex in a winning position. Archer (39) played his part in a significant eighth wicket stand of 85 before Steve Magoffin was last man out, off the final ball before tea, for 12.

Miles, who bowled well from both ends, finished with the impressive figures of 4 for 109, while Shaw, playing in his last game before returning to parent club Yorkshire, scooped his first five-wicket haul in the Championship. He finished with 5 for 79.

When Gareth Roderick was bowled by Jordan for 9, in the sixth over, Gloucestershire must have feared the worst. Chris Dent, who scored 90 in the first innings, and 19-year-old James Bracey added 49 for the second wicket, but when the latter was trapped lbw by Danny Briggs for 12, Gloucestershire were 74 for 2.

By the close George Hankins had departed too, lbw to Briggs, who finished the day with figures of 2 for 15 off 10 overs. Gloucestershire's hopes, once again, rest on the shoulders of Dent, who will begin the final day of the season, unbeaten on 47. However, it promises to be an uphill climb for the 25-year-old left-hander and his middle and late order.