Parkinson stars in Red Rose victory
DELRAY Rawlins’ maiden first-class century could not prevent Sussex from slipping to a heavy defeat against Division Two leaders Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.
Lancashire clinched victory by an innings and 51 runs despite Rawlins’ sensational innings, which included an exhilarating sixthwicket partnership of 128 with David Wiese during an entertaining afternoon session.
But Sussex’s defeat was confirmed seven balls into the evening session on the third day when Matt Parkinson removed Mir Hamza to claim career-best match figures of 10 for 165.
Lancashire gain 23 points for their victory to maintain their lead, but Sussex’s third successive defeat puts a severe dent in their hopes of winning promotion this season.
Needing 367 to make the home side bat again, the visitors were bowled out for 316 with Onions taking the ninth wicket when he had Abi Sakande caught behind by Dane Vilas and Parkinson ending the match when he trapped Hamza leg before for nought.
But the highlight of Monday’s cricket was undoubtedly the batting of Rawlins, who hit 12 fours and three sixes, reaching his century off 99 balls with his third maximum, a blow which was still rising just before crossing the rope in front of the pavilion.
Rawlins was dismissed next ball when Parkinson clung on to a sharp return catch and the legspinner took his third wicket when he had Wiese leg before wicket four overs later for 77.
Lancashire’s only other wicket in an afternoon session which saw 197 runs scored was taken by Richard Gleeson, who had Chris Jordan caught behind by Dane Vilas for 11.
But all this entertainment and the aggression of Rawlins and Wiese was in contrast to the opening hour of play in which Sussex’s hesitant and errorstrewn batting had resulted in the loss of four wickets.
Varun Chopra was the first to go for 15 when he nibbled at a ball he probably did not need to play from Gleeson and was caught behind by Vilas.
Less than three overs later, Luke Wells was leg before wicket to Graham Onions for a third-ball duck and Stiaan van Zyl followed for six soon after when a flick down the leg side off Gleeson only edged another catch to Vilas.
The important dismissal of visiting skipper Ben Brown, caught at midwicket by Haseeb Hameed for four when chipping a ball from Onions into the leg side, meant that Sussex had lost four wickets inside the first hour at Old Trafford.
Phil Salt was then bowled by Parkinson for 37 on the stroke of lunch when he played the ball down into a foothole and it spun back into the off stump.
At that point Sussex seemed likely to lose heavily but Rawlins’ batting brought a smile back to the faces on the away dressing room balcony. Onions finished the match with three for 18 and Gleeson took three for 62.