Tom Haines’ 174 gave Sussex the upper hand on day two of their County Championship clash against reigning champions Surrey at Hove. In a match where rhythm came slowly, Sussex batted with control and patience to end the day well placed.
Haines continued in the same vein as yesterday; he never looked like getting out, batting with intent, authoritative off the back foot and looking every bit the Division One batter.
Surrey threw everything at trying to make the early breakthrough with the new ball. Gus Atkinson bowled aggressively and short all day. He started at the Sea End, peppering Tom Alsop with a constant barrage of short-pitched bowling and while it slowed the run rate, it was not going to get the wicket, even though Haines and Alsop waited for the few opportunities that Atkinson varied even fractionally off target.
Sussex were in control of the first hour of play, though not with the same tempo as yesterday, where Surrey were caught off guard. They were looking for containment.
Alsop was the first wicket to go on a day where Sussex made it a habit of picking out the fielder. Matthew Fisher, the most economical of the Surrey bowlers, ended the third-wicket partnership of 180, Alsop giving Dan Worrall catching practice.
Wickets then fell regularly, but not regularly enough to bring Surrey screaming back into proceedings and Sussex were not ready to let go of their grip. It would take something special to dislodge Sussex. The carry and bounce early on from the Cromwell Road End was lacking and an edge that Atkinson had drawn fell short of Ben Foakes.
It would be later in the day when Atkinson would come into his own. When he targeted the stumps, he got wickets. Haines chopped on to bring an end to his 286-ball innings and Ollie Robinson, taking a wild swipe, was cleaned up for five. It won’t go down as one of Atkinson’s best shifts, but he finished with four for 140.
He roughed up Danny Lamb with a short-of-length ball that reared up and caught the batter flush on the arm. Lamb went off but returned at the fall of the next wicket and the barrage continued. The short stuff was predictable and batters had plenty of opportunity to duck out of the way.
Wickets tended to fall at the other end as the lower order wanted to get out and bowl. Sussex were bowled out for 435, short of where they could have been. Jayden Seales trying to clear long-on gave Dan Worrall his second wicket of the game; telling of the tail, if the Sussex tale.
Now that Sussex were in the field, facing a Surrey batting line-up where their top order have all had England experience and with 22 overs left in the day and batters that had spent the best part of five sessions in the field, it would give the home team the chance to inflict early breakthroughs. Ollie Robinson bounded in like a young puppy, full of energy — as much bark as bite — as early lbw appeals were turned down. He would eventually make the breakthrough, Rory Burns having his stumps rearranged for 16.
Surrey batted steadily for the rest of the day, with Lamb unable to bowl due to injury and Seales struggling to find his rhythm. Sussex were a bowler down and keen not to hand Surrey the kind of start they had benefited from themselves.
Jack Carson was given just the one over. He found the edge of Burns, but the ball looped agonisingly out of the fielder’s reach. It was enough to suggest spin could still play a part, with two days to go.
It will take something special from Sussex’s bowlers, or dominant hundreds from Sibley and Pope, to stop this game from drifting toward the draw it seems destined for.
