[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Two

Morning: A much cloudier and gustier Friday, and some early signs of steepling bounce from the pitch provided encouragement that this might prove a result wicket. Certainly Ben Cox was quick to fall foul of it, edging behind for 29 and bringing Joe Leach out to the middle for his standard run-a-ball cameo. After securing the fourth batting point and showing some interest in securing a fifth, the big man eventually perished swinging wildly at a short, wide ball that was top-edged to mid-off for 26. New man Josh Baker looked more assured, and played his role in a comfortable eighth-wicket partnership of 85, but ultimately drove a ball straight to cover for 43 to bring the morning to a close with the hosts 460-8. 122 runs for 3 wickets in the session, and Dolly still going strong on 149; another very handy spell of play for the Pears.

Afternoon: The first ball after the resumption gave Dolly his 150, and he soon broke out his armoury of reverse sweeps and scoops in the name of shifting the game along. If the tail had stuck around it could have gone on for hours more, but with Charlie Morris caught behind for 4 and Dillon Pennington mistiming a pull and top-edging to mid-on for 3, there was no chance of further fireworks. Not out on 169, the skipper returned to the pavilion with a healthy total of 491 on the board, and had every cause to celebrate when the Sussex reply began with Leach bowling Ali Orr through the gate for a golden duck off the very first ball. That explosive start may have raised hopes of a quick demolition job, but as Cheteshwar Pujara came in to anchor the innings, there was only one further casualty in the session; on 26 the prize scalp of Tom Haines went to Morris as reward for bowling a nagging, disciplined line and length, clattering the stumps after a push forward. Sussex reached tea on 64-2, perhaps grateful that the damage wasn't worse.

Evening: The sun emerged in a blue sky, and though they enjoyed a slice of fortune here and there, for a long time after the interval it looked as if Sussex were batting on a pitch suddenly devoid of all malice. A century partnership seemed to signpost the long, weary road to a draw; the action had grown quite soporofic when, after an over or two of uncomfortable shots, Tom Clark finally nicked Leach to second slip for 44, flinging the door wide open. It became two wickets in two balls when Mohammad Rizwan edged behind for a golden duck, and though the hat-trick went begging, Leach bagged his third of the session and fourth of the innings as he bowled nightwatchman Jamie Atkins for a duck. Shutting up shop for the day, Pujara and new man Delray Rawlins reached stumps without further incident, but having slipped from 155-2 to 169-5 in the closing stages, Sussex have granted Worcestershire a precious foothold and kept alive the hope of Dolly recording his first win as captain.