Innings win over Derbyshire boosts Sussex’s County Championship title bid

They took a maximum haul of 24 points as they placed more daylight between themselves and their pursuers and with two of their last three games at home they are now clear favourites to win the title.

Their undoubted star was off-spinner Jack Carson, who followed his innings of 97 with match figures of eleven for 157, the biggest return of his career. His second innings figures of six for 67 was another best. He has taken 20 wickets in his past two games, following his nine in the previous game against Yorkshire.

After brave resistance from Harry Came and Wayne Madsen, Derbyshire lost their last eight wickets for 54 runs in just 25 overs. And this match represented a cruel return to normal form following their heavy defeat of Glamorgan.

Carson said: “I’m absolutely chuffed. It’s nice to contribute to a win like that. It’s a matter of sticking to the process of landing it in the right area for as long as I can. But Jaydev should take the credit for cracking it open by taking the two big ones just before lunch. And he pulled it out on a very flat pitch for the seamers.

“I might have bowled better than that without taking a wicket. But I tried to keep bowling with as much energy as I could and relied on the rest taking care of itself. Credit to Simmo [captain John Simpson] for the changes he made. And also to the coach for getting the right players in to help us push on at the top of the table.”

Derbyshire started the final morning on 141 for two, still needing 176 runs to make Sussex bat again, with Came 54 not out and Madsen unbeaten on 31.

For almost 90 minutes there was an intriguing battle between bat and ball, with Sussex captain John Simpson switching his bowlers thoughtfully, in an attempt to both conserve their energy in the warm sunshine and also to disrupt the immense concentration of Derbyshire’s third wicket pair. It looked like being Derbyshire’s morning. But then, at 196 for two, the new ball became available and there was a new match to contemplate.

Simpson decided to give the new ball to Fynn Hudson-Prentice and – bowling from his favourite Cromwell Road end – Ollie Robinson. But, after two ineffectual overs from Hudson-Prentice, Simpson replaced him with Jaydev Unadkat, for his first ball from the sea end. And Unadkat immediately turned the match towards Sussex with two wicket maidens.

With the fourth delivery of his opening over he had Madsen caught by Tom Haines, the more square of the two gulleys beside the two slips. Madsen had faced 149 balls and hit ten fours in his 77. He had also batted for five minutes under three hours, to add to the five hours and 12 minutes for his first innings 138.

Then, with the second ball of his second over, Unadkat struck again, this time having Derbyshire captain David Lloyd caught low down behind the wicket by Simpson. At lunch Derbyshire were 208 for four, still 109 runs behind.

When Carson replaced Unadkat at 230 for four the pressure appeared to be coming off. But in his second over the spinner ended Came’s long vigil when he had the batsman caught at slip by Haines. His 79 had occupied three minutes less than six hours and he had faced 273 balls. And at 251 the same combination accounted for Zak Chappell, with Haines taking his third catch of the innings.

Aneurin Donald decided to play his shots, which is the game he knows best. But in Carson’s next over he was caught at backward square-leg, as he swept towards the short boundary on the east side of the ground, and Derbyshire looked broken at 252 for seven. Without addition, Jack Morley was caught behind off Carson, his tenth wicket in the match. Four runs later Carson had Daryn Dupavillon caught at bat-pad and finally Anuj Dal, batting heroically with hand and groin injuries, after also being struck on the head, was bowled by Henry Crocombe.