Gloucestershire reach 319/8 by the close thanks to Charlesworth, Hammond & Bracey fifties
19 April 2024
James Bracey continued his good start to the Vitality County Championship season with 69 before Sussex claimed two late wickets to ensure first-day honours ended even at Hove.
The left-handed Bracey, who made 102 against Yorkshire earlier this week, was one of three batters to score fifties without going on before Sussex took two wickets with the second new ball as Gloucestershire reached 319 for 8 when play ended just after 7.15pm.
Ben Charlesworth and Miles Hammond had earlier shared a stand of 104 for the third wicket but both were dismissed in successive overs.
Sussex will feel reasonably satisfied. The run rate never got above four an over despite a temptingly short scoreboard-side boundary and their attack kept plugging away on a sluggish pitch. Danny Lamb was the pick of the seamers and took two wickets during an excellent pre-lunch spell while off-spinner Jack Carson picked up two wickets after being introduced in the 46th over.
Ollie Robinson looked in good rhythm and would have been rewarded had Carson not dropped Bracey at third slip on 23 in the first over of Robinson’s third spell.
When Hammond and Charlesworth were adding 106 in 34 overs for the third wicket during the afternoon Gloucestershire were in control, but then Sussex hit back.
The pair had been pushed up the order because Chris Dent was ruled out with a back injury. Charlesworth, who made an unbeaten 52 from No.7 against Yorkshire last week, scored a fluent 62 while Hammond made the most of being dropped on 17 by Tom Clark at second slip off Jayden Seales to contribute 56, before Sussex skipper John Simpson made two bowling changes that brought instant reward.
Off-spinner Carson found just enough to turn to square up Hammond (56) as he looked to defend into the leg side and when Seales was brought back he struck with his first ball, angling one across Charlesworth (62) which he nibbled through to keeper Simpson.
Bracey and skipper Graeme van Buuren put on 47 in 14 overs and apart from the reprieve given to Bracey they looked unperturbed until Fynn Hudson-Prentice defeated van Buuren with a full, straight delivery. It was 264 for six when Tom Price was bowled through the gate by the impressive Carson, who performed impressively despite a strong, cold cross-wind.
Bracey and Zafar Gohar added 43 in 12 overs for the seventh wicket and appeared to have taken the sting out of the new ball. But Bracey, who hit two sixes and eight fours, was leg before half-forward to Seales and Lamb returned to claim his third wicket when Dom Goodman edged to slip.
Earlier, Charlesworth and Cameron Bancroft put on 49 for the first wicket with few alarms against Robinson and Seales but Lamb dragged it back for Sussex with two wickets during an eight over spell when he conceded only 19 runs and ran out of fingers counting up the times he beat the bat, as he settled on an immaculate length and found just enough movement to keep the batters honest.
Reward came when Bancroft was palpably lbw for 27 working the ball across his front pad and in his third over Lamb got enough away movement to encourage Ollie Price into a drive and Tom Clark took a well-judged low catch at third slip.
Hammond took advantage of the short boundary and spoiled Lamb’s figures by muscling him over the extra cover boundary and in the next over Charlesworth clipped Fynn Hudson-Prentice over the square leg rope before Sussex hit back.
