Tourists give Sussex a tough test

It’s been a chance for Sussex’s players to get their recent poor County Championship form out of their system – and a chance for local cricket fans to see the Australians in town.

Jason Gillespie’s side have hosted Australia A at the scenic Arundel Castle ground this week, and it’s a match-up that will surely have been of benefit to both teams.

The Aussies arrived on the south coast with a strong team, including a number of players expected to – or hoping to – feature in the Ashes series, which begins on August 1.

And for Sussex, fielding a mixture of first-team regulars and hopefuls, it’s been a chance for some players to play their way back into form and for others to show they deserve a chance in the County Championship side – or perhaps even in the Vitality Blast squad for the competition which begins in a week or so.

Sunday’s opening day of the four-day first-class fixture was hampered by rain, which prevented any play before mid-afternoon and when it did get under way, it was Sussex batting after they won the toss.

They’ve been plaqued by poor starts to innings in their recent back-toback home championship defeats to Durham and Northamptonshire.

So on this occasion it was pleasing to see Phil Salt and new recruit Varun Chopra set get through the early overs without getting out.

Salt struck a lively sevenboundary 37 before being first out to a Josh Hazlewood catch off Jackson Bird and Chopra followed seven balls later when he was lbw to James Pattinson.

Disappointingly, some of the Sussex batting frailities were in evidence again as Laurie Evans, Luke Wells and Aneesh Kapil all fell cheaply to leave the tourists on top.

But as the Sussex innings went into a second day, Delray Rawlins proved the star of the show with a knock of 69 that included ten fours and one six that livened things up.

Centuries for Marcus Harris and Joe Burns, albeit in less trying conditions, put the visitors in command and they never looked back, taking a 110 lead then bowling out Sussex for 120 next time around, eventually winning by ten wickets.

But for Sussex, it was an honour to host the tourists – and a test they hope will leave some in better form for the rest of the season. James Pattinson of (third from right) celebrates the wicket of Luke Wells Mir Hamza appeals - to no avail - as the Australia A reply begins