By Grockle
July 20 2002

With Sussex at 250 for 2 it looked like a long way back...at 350 for 7 it looked a hell of a lot better....then Martin-Jenkins and Davies came together and we entered a world of pain.

SUSSEX CC1 @ TAUNTON JULY 19 2002

DAY ONE

DAY TWO

DAY THREE

DAY FOUR

Early hope...

The fact that we had dismissed the two openers at the end of Day one gave us a bit of hope that we could make inroads into the Sussex line-up in the early session.  Cottey (120) and Ambrose (68) put paid to that as a hope with a stand of 193 for the third wicket and we looked in a great deal of trouble as they passed our total with only two wickets down!

Back into the game...

But Parsons broke through twice and with the help of Ian Blackwell we were back in the game and it looked like we would see ourselves in bat again before the end of the second day with less than 100 in arrears.  KP took Ambrose at 287,  Blackwell had Yardy at 288 and Parsons finally waved goodbye to the mighty Cottey 20 runs later at 308.   It looked even better at 330 when Parsons had Prior stumped and we were once again into the soft white underbelly of a batting line-up!  Innes didn't last long (he went to Trego caught behind) and at 351 for 7 it was possible that we could finish less than a ton behind.  Martin-Jenkins and Davies stood between us and equal terms by the start of Day Three.

Soft and White....

Oh yes, these two were very soft and white!  The number 7 is still in and undefeated at 171 not out.  The number 9 hardly made a run until Martin-Jenkins was at 50 but he finished on 68.  We bowled everyone and they hit everyone.  We tried field changes, they hit the gaps, we plugged the gaps, they hit other gaps and so on... It was very painful and it has made this game into a fight for survival.  Jonah had Davies wondering, but the luck was with the Sussex men and they didn't look too troubled by anyone really after the initial Jones onslaught.

We end Day Two 319 runs behind and they have two wickets in hand.  Whatever happens tomorrow, we have to bat out the next two days for a draw.  No option.   Do we have a chance?  Well, you'd have to suggest that if their batting tail can add 238 without loss then we should be able to do it.  If the weather changes and it gets humid and strange then we may be out of this one.  If we 'bat like planks' (messageboard judgement!) then we deserve the result.

Up to our necks in smelly stuff and sinking!!