Sussex v Warwickshire: Day 1 (From The Argus)

Sussex v Warwickshire: Day 1

10:27am Wednesday 9th September 2009 in

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CLOSE: Warwicks 15-2 (7)

Westwood (11) and Ian Bell (2) survived to the close. Fascinating first day ends with honours even. I'm back tomorrow with more updates. See you then.

WICKET: Warwicks 10-2 (4.2)

Two wickets in four balls - the perfect start for Sussex. Rayner trapped Botha lbw with his arm ball and now nightwatchman Tahir has run himself out! Westwood played the ball down to third man and Tahir called him through for a third and was well short when Martin-Jenkins' throw came back over the stumps. Lots of hollering around the bat when Chawla's bowling.

Warwicks 6-0 (2.3)

Yardy has given the new ball to his two spinners, or perhaps the umpires have told him the light isn't good enough for quicks. Anyway Chawla turned a couple in his first over and there are four fielders in close for him. Westwood 5, Botha 1.

SUSSEX 254 all out

Woakes finishes it off by trapping Rayner leg before for 22 leaving Kirtley 2 not out. Four overs tonight for Warwickshire to negotiate before the close.

Sussex 254-9 (88)

That's the most animated the crowd here have been all day as Kirtley takes a single off Woakes to secure a second batting point. Could be important that at the end of the season. He is 2 and Rayner, who has hit two fours since he was joined by Kirtley, is on to 22. Hello there dadadada Michael Yardy. Botha did turn the ball but there have been some poor shots and the pitch is a bit two-paced. Warwicks have had men in close on the drive all day and rhey have always been in the game. Sussex's run rate indicates that is has never been easy for the batsmen but they will still be disappointed with this total. And the Smith news? Page 61 of today's paper Guv'nor.

WICKET: Sussex 239-9 (86)

New ball does the trick almost immediately as Woakes traps Joyce with late inswing to have him lbw for 107. Great effort by Joyce but the next highest score is 32 which tells its own story. Rayner is 9 and James Kirtley has joined him with 11 needed to eke out a second batting point. Quite overcast here now.

WICKET: Sussex 226-8 (77.5)

Another wicket given away. Chawla slog-swept the previous ball from Botha onto the pavilion roof for six but then he clipped the next delivery to short mid-wicket where Bell dived to his right to take an excellent catch. There was even a display of keepy-uppy with the ball from Bell by way of celebration. Joyce 103 and it's Ollie Rayner's turn to see if he can give Joyce the support he deserves at the other end. Rankin about to replace Tahir.

WICKET: Sussex 219-7 (77)

Joyce gets his hundred and RMJ gets out in the same over. Joyce's first ton at Hove and his third of the season reached with a clip behind square for two. RMJ clouted Tahir through mid-wicket for a boundary but then got giddy, chased width and was held low down at slip by Jonathan Trott. Joyce 102 and Piyush Chawla is the new batsman.

Sussex 211-6 (74)

Botha will be a tired boy tonight. He's continued since tea with Tahir providing seam support from the Cromwell Road end. Not sure if that middle order collapse should have surprised really. Hodd has scored one half-century in his last eight innings with three ducks, Smith's last four scores have been 0,4,8,0 and his 139 on the Taunton road excepted, Hopkinson has failed to get past 20 in five of his last six innings. Joyce 99, RMJ 8.

TEA: Sussex 191-6 (65)

Session had gone well for Sussex until 20 minutes ago. Joyce standing firm on 87 and RMJ got off the mark with a handsome cover drive off Tahir in the last over before the break. He is 4 not out.

WICKET: Sussex 186-6 (63.3)

Make that three in 11 as Smith holes out to mid off for another duck. Looked to be agressive but that ball must have turned a bit and Sreesanth ended up running back 10 yards and taking a comfortable catch in the end. Three wickets for two runs - horrible collapse and it could be a costly one in the context of this match and Sussex's survival hopes.

WICKET: Sussex 186-5 (62.3)

Two wickets in eight balls as Hodd gets a duck after turning a delivery from Tahir straight into Westwood's hands at short mid-wicket. He didn't have to move an inch. Joyce is 86 and Dwayne Smith is the new batsman.

WICKET: Sussex 185-4 (61.4)

Third wicket for Botha as Hopkinson, forcing through point off the back foot, is bowled off an inside edge for 8. Joyce 85 and it's Andrew Hodd in at six and nearly prodding his first ball to silly point.

WICKET: Sussex 180-3 (58.5)

Been a while since the last update, been writing my Crawley Town preview. Anyway, Botha turned one past Goodwin's forward prod and knocked back off stump so he went for 29 on 149 having added 65 in 23 with Joyce. Since then Joyce has progressed to 80 and Hopkinson is 8. Typical Hove wicket this, David of Reading Players say you never really feel "in" on it and forcing the pace as the ball gets older can be hard work. Joyce holding it together nicely though. Four overs until tea after this one from Botha, who has bowled all afternoon unchanged.

Sussex 139-2 (42.1)

Sreesanth back for a hurtle down the hill. 50 partnership for the third wicket in 16 overs. Joyce now 58, Goodwin 26.

Sussex 131-2 (39.3)

25 runs added in eight overs since lunch bowled by Woakes and Botha, who is continuing from the sea end. Joyce has reached sixth half-century of the season and third in successive home games from 91 balls with eight fours. He is 54 and Joyce 21. They are building a good platform here for Sussex.

LUNCH: Sussex 106-2 (31)

Sussex just shaded that session. Warwickshire's seamers have been quite disciplined but Joyce has played well for his 38 while Goodwin played a lovely late cut in the last over before lunch for his second four. He is 12 at the break.

WICKET: Sussex 88-2 (25

Yardy goes for 29 and that's a deserved wicket for Rankin, the best seamer on show so far. Yardy hardly forward and it must have done a bit off the seam. Anyway he's gloved it to Ambrose. Joyce also 29 and the new batsman is Murray Goodwin who got off the mark second ball with a boundary off his toes behind square. Excellent lines to the left-handers by Rankin. Ant Botha has just come on at the sea end to bowl his slow left-arm.

Sussex 55-1 (17.4)

Double bowling change by the Bears sees Rankin and Woakes come into the attack. Rankin, who is 6ft 5in, looks lively down the slope and has pinned fellow Irishman Joyce back into his crease a couple of times and hit the bat hard. Moment of concern for Tim Ambrose a few moments ago who appeared to injure one of the fingers on his left hand trying to stop a ball which went for four byes. He is fine though and didn't need treatment. Yardy is 23, Joyce 15.

WICKET: Sussex 31-1 (9.2)

Nash goes for 16, shouldering arms to Tahir and having his off pole knocked out. Looked a good knacker that but a bad misjudgement by Nash. Yardy is 14 and the new batsman is Ed Joyce.

Sussex 11-0 (3)

It's been Sreesanth and Tahir with the new ball for Warwickshire. No spin to speak of in their side which is a surprise, although Botha does bowl some left-arm tweakers although the wicket he took against Worcestershire last week was his first since mid-July. Nash is 8 and Yardy 2 and not too much to concern the batsmen so far. Nash, incidentally, will reach 1000 runs if he gets to 25.

Good morning everyone and welcome to our online coverage of Sussex's Championship match against Warwickshire.

The news is that Sussex have won the toss and will bat. There are two changes to the side which drew with Lancashire last week. Chris Nash returns after recovering from a sprained ankle and there is a surprise recall to the attack for James Kirtley, who will play his first Championship game since Worcestershire away in June. Corey Collymore misses out after failing to recover from a hamstring injury. Sussex: Nash, Yardy, Joyce, Goodwin, Hopkinson, Smith, Hodd, Martin-Jenkins, Chawla, Rayner, Kirtley. Warwickshire: Westwood, Botha, Bell,Trott, Troughton, Ambrose, Clarke, Woakes, Tahir, Sreesanth, Rankin.