LV=CC day three: Fidel Edwards leads Hampshire to win over Sussex

Fidel Edwards produced his best bowling performance for three years to lead Hampshire to their first win since promotion to Division One of the LV County Championship.
Cricket SUS-150806-142520001Cricket SUS-150806-142520001
Cricket SUS-150806-142520001

The former West Indies fast bowler finished with 5 for 58 in the seven wicket win over Sussex at Hove, his first five-for since taking 6 for 90 against Bangladesh in 2012.

Sussex were dismissed for 266 in their second innings and Hampshire completed their six-wicket victory five overs after tea with opener Sean Terry unbeaten on 62, his highest first-class score.

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Terry and Jimmy Adams put on 51 for the first wicket to settle any nerves before off-spinner Luke Wells claimed the first of two wickets when Adams (30) was caught on the drive at mid-wicket by Mike Yardy.

Michael Carberry (6) gloved a ball from Matt Hobden down the leg side and Hampshire lost their third wicket just before tea when Vince, looking to hit Wells over mid-on, got a top edge and was taken at slip for 10.

Smith became Hobden’s second victim but by then Hampshire were only six runs short of victory.

Earlier, Sussex had lost their last four wickets in 23 balls for the addition of just four runs after Luke Wright and Ben Brown had seemed capable of frustrating Hampshire.

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They added 120 for the seventh wicket with Wright top-scoring with 84 and Brown making 52.

Wright, who had resumed on 28, looked to be positive at every opportunity although solid defence was the only way of combating the lively Edwards who produced another aggressive spell down the slope, removing night watchman Steve Magoffin, who was caught at slip, with the fourth ball of the day.

Edwards gave Brown a proper working over, hitting him three times on the body with deliveries which climbed alarmingly off the cracks while Brown had a reprieve on 13 when he mis-timed a pull off Edwards only for Danny Briggs to drop an easy catch at mid-wicket.

Once Edwards came out of the attack batting was a lot easier and as the partnership built both batsmen grew in confidence. When Jackson Bird returned to the attack Brown hit him for three successive boundaries while Wright was quick to fasten onto any width.

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Wright had been there for nearly three hours for his 84, which included 13 fours and a six, when he took on Will Smith’s arm in the covers looking for a second run and was beaten by a brilliant direct hit with only one stump to aim at.

Luke Wright SCCC 2015-16. Sussex County Cricket Club. Pic Steve Robards SUS-150413-093959001Luke Wright SCCC 2015-16. Sussex County Cricket Club. Pic Steve Robards SUS-150413-093959001
Luke Wright SCCC 2015-16. Sussex County Cricket Club. Pic Steve Robards SUS-150413-093959001

Brown then succumbed to a brute of a delivery from Bird which he gloved to slip in the last over before lunch, having struck ten fours in a gutsy half-century.

Bird picked up his second wicket courtesy of Ollie Robinson’s ill-judged hook to long leg and Briggs was rewarded for 30 overs of toil into a strong wind when he wrapped up the innings courtesy of a bat-pad by Terry to remove Fynn Hudson-Prentice for a duck.

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