Pringle’s resistance not enough

Durham must hope for an improvement in their Specsavers County Championship Division Two trip to Glamorgan, starting tomorrow, after a thumping from Sussex.

Sussex won their first match of the season in style, beating Paul Collingwood’s men by an innings and 177 runs at Hove to take a maximum 24 points.

There was some stoic batting, once again, from Ryan Pringle, who batted for four and a quarter hours for an unbeaten 38. That followed his 60 in the first innings, when he spent 152 minutes in the middle.

But it was nowhere near enough to deny a Sussex side who appear to be transformed by the return of Vernon Philander, Luke Wells and Chris Jordan.

Durham began day four on 97-4, still 284 runs behind. Sussex broke through with the fifth ball of the second over when Collingwood was lbw to David Wiese having failed to add to his overnight 31.

Paul Coughlin then lost his middle stump to Jofra Archer, with the ball appearing to deflect onto his wicket via his gloves as he shouldered arms. Stuart Poynter was the seventh man out at 126, caught behind off Archer for a duck.

The home side took the new ball immediately after lunch, and Archer and Philander swept away the Durham tail. James Weighell had brought up his maiden first-class fifty, but had not added to his lunchtime score (58) when he played around one from Archer and lost his leg stump.

Then Philander, bowling with pace and aggression, had Chris Rushworth caught at third slip.

Graham Onions, who bowled only 10 overs because of a sore back, had his middle stump uprooted by Philander, first ball.

Glamorgan, like Durham, are still seeking their first Championship win.