Sussex v Yorkshire LV=County Championship (Day Three)

JONNY BAIRSTOW’S recent upturn in form was maintained with an outstanding all-round display as Yorkshire attempted to force victory against Sussex at Arundel.

Overlooked by England’s selectors for the Test series against Sri Lanka, Bairstow has responded with some of his best form of the season, which started with a matchwinning unbeaten 60 in the NatWest T20 Blast triumph at Northampton.

He brought the confidence from that display into the current championship match and after claiming six catches during Sussex’s first innings – just one short of equalling the Yorkshire wicketkeeping record for an innings held by his late father, David – he followed that with an unbeaten 161.

Batting for nearly seven hours, Bairstow had to combat an accurate Sussex bowling attack and a slow Arundel wicket to face 289 balls and hit eight fours and three sixes, enabling Yorkshire to declare 154 runs ahead on 470 for seven.

The placid nature of the pitch was underlined with Sussex comfortably seeing out the final 10 overs of the third day to reach 21 without loss at the close, trailing by 133 runs.

Bairstow’s achievements were in stark contrast to the disappointment felt by Jack Leaning, the 20-year-old batsman from York , who fell just one run short of claiming his maiden championship century.

The pair had resumed overnight with Yorkshire trailing by 108 runs on 203 for three, and batted nearly all the morning session until Leaning fell agonisingly short, driving James Tredwell back down the pitch only for the off-spinner to take a brilliant reflex return catch.

Aaron Finch, Yorkshire’s big-hitting Australian, could perhaps have helped his county accelerate but fell just three overs later when Steve Magoffin won an lbw appeal.

But Bairstow was given solid support by Tim Bresnan, who shared a 138-run stand spanning 50.3 overs with both players forced to curb their naturally attacking instincts on such a slow surface.

Bresnan was dropped on 63 at slip attempting to cut Tredwell, but it was not a costly error with Magoffin bowling him three overs later as the England all-rounder attempted a drive.

Azeem Rafiq also fell before the declaration, miscueing Tredwell to mid-off, but Bairstow was given a rousing reception when he sprinted off at the declaration to compose himself for wicket-keeping duties.

SCOREBOARD

At Arundel.

Overnight: Sussex 316 (L W P Wells 74,
J Lewis 61). Yorkshire 208-3 (JA Leaning
75 no, A Lyth 66).

Yorkshire First Innings
J A Leaning c & b Tredwell...................99
J M Bairstow not out............................161
A J Finch lbw b Magoffin ........................ 3
T T Bresnan b Magoffin ........................68
Rafiq c Lewis b Tredwell...................... 14
R M Pyrah not out ..................................20
Extras (b1 lb5 w1 nb5 pens 0) 12
Total 7 wkts dec (173 overs)470
Fall: 1-56 2-129 3-139 4-264 5-267
6-405 7-428
Did Not Bat: S A Patterson, J A Brooks.
Magoffin 42-17-81-4. Hatchett 27-4-102-
0. Lewis 25-4-56-0. Tredwell 59-12-158-
3. L J Wright 8-0-31-0. Nash 10-1-27-0.
Hamilton-Brown 2-0-9-0.

Sussex Second Innings Close
L W Wells not out .................................... 4
C D Nash not out ................................... 17
Extras (pens 0) ....................... 0
Total 0 wkts (10 overs)21To Bat:
R J Hamilton-Brown, E C Joyce, M
W Machan, L J Wright, B C
Brown, J C Tredwell, J Lewis, L J
Hatchett, S J Magoffin.Bresnan 4-2-5-0.
Brooks 4-1-9-0. Patterson 1-1-0-0. Rafiq
1-0-7-0.