Tuesday, 07 September 2010, 09:00pm
Sussex on course for promotion
Sussex put themselves in a great position to win promotion with a game to spare by dominating Northamptonshire on day one of their LV= County Championship Division Two match at Hove.
Needing eight points to secure an immediate return to Division One, they bowled out their visitors for 125 after winning the toss.
Sussex openers Chris Nash and Michael Thornely had no such trouble with the pitch, however, as they launched the reply with a 228-run partnership in 44 overs. The hosts closed on 236 for two after Jack Brooks took two quick wickets.
Kevin Pietersen made a two-ball duck on his first-class debut for Surrey, who otherwise enjoyed a profitable first day against Glamorgan.
The hosts reached 324 for six, skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown top-scoring with a swaggering 96 from 84 balls - featuring six fours and six sixes - and Jason Roy adding a rapid 69.
But Pietersen was one of Dean Cosker's wickets as the spinner took four for 40.
Toby Roland-Jones fell foul of the London tube strike congestion to miss the first 40 minutes of play but returned to help Middlesex bowl out promotion-chasing Worcestershire for 313 at Lord's.
Roland-Jones was not held responsible for his late arrival by the club and the 22-year-old fast bowler came back well from his stressful start to the day to take four for 51, making him the pick of the Middlesex attack.
Moeen Ali top-scored with 66, while the one over of the Middlesex innings before the close was a maiden played out by nightwatchman Steven Finn. Teenager Nathan Buck took a starring role to spearhead a Leicestershire fightback against Gloucestershire at Grace Road.
The 19-year-old seamer posted a career-best 26 as Leicestershire's lower order pulled them out of trouble and then followed up with two wickets in two balls at the start of Gloucestershire's reply. By the close, Gloucestershire had staged a recovery to reach 54 for two but were still 241 runs behind Leicestershire's 295, to which Tom New contributed a top score of 63.
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