Yorkshire claimed the upper hand on a challenging opening day of their Vitality County Championship promotion clash against Division Two leaders Sussex at Scarborough, although the margin may not be significant.
Sussex entered this 10th-round fixture at the top of the Division Two table with six wins, while Yorkshire, positioned third with two victories, trailed them by 27 points. Both teams are vying for promotion to Division One next season.
Batting first in difficult conditions, Sussex fought hard to reach 187 for 9 in 72 overs, with left-handers Daniel Hughes and Tom Alsop both scoring half-centuries. Alsop remained unbeaten on 84 from 184 balls.
Sussex had to recover from a precarious 14 for 2 in the early afternoon after rain had limited the morning session to just four overs. Matthew Revis played a key role for Yorkshire, taking three wickets.
Despite the day being shortened by 24 overs due to rain in the morning and bad light in the evening, the play was engrossing. It wouldn’t be surprising if Sussex's total proves to be competitive.
The visitors batted under overcast skies on a pitch that exhibited signs of uneven bounce. Hughes, who scored 53, and Alsop, who was dropped in the slips on nine, both played some elegant drives.
Australian overseas opener Hughes has had a strong impact with Sussex during the second half of the summer, particularly in the Vitality Blast. He recently signed on to return for most of the 2025 season.
Hughes made a confident start by driving the first ball of the match, delivered by Ben Coad, through the covers after Jonny Tattersall opted to bowl. One of his most memorable shots came with a straight drive off George Hill, pushing him into the forties. However, his innings was cut short after he reached fifty off 85 balls, as he drove Coad to cover, leaving Sussex at 75 for 3 in the 30th over.
Before the morning rain delay, Coad had trapped Tom Haines lbw with a full delivery in the contest's opening over, and Tom Clark was caught at point after a loose drive at Thompson.
Hughes and Alsop then steadied the innings with a 61-run partnership for the third wicket, easing Sussex's nerves.
Alsop, like Hughes, recently committed his future to Sussex by signing a long-term contract. He played solidly, especially after being given a reprieve on nine when Fin Bean dropped a catch at third slip off Revis’s bowling.
After Hughes’s dismissal, Thompson trapped James Coles lbw, reducing Sussex to 85 for 4 in the 36th over.
Alsop and captain John Simpson added 40 runs before Simpson pulled George Hill to midwicket. Fynn Hudson-Prentice then edged Revis to first slip, leaving Sussex at 134 for 6 in the 55th over.
Alsop reached his half-century off 142 balls shortly afterwards.
Jack Carson and Indian seamer Jaydev Unadkat then offered catches to third and fourth slip, driving at Revis, while Ollie Robinson edged Dan Moriarty’s left-arm spin to slip, bringing Sussex down to 172 for 9 in the 69th over.
Jonny Bairstow, in his first county appearance of the season, took the wicketkeeping gloves for Yorkshire and was neat and tidy, while Sussex’s new ball seamer Robinson, hoping to revive his England Test career, batted late in the day, scoring just two runs.
Shortly before bad light ended play at 6:15 pm, Alsop struck two boundaries—one reverse-swept and the other swept—off Moriarty as he ran out of partners.