Date-stamped : 05 Jul97 - 14:19
Poor driving by Worcestershire

By Geoffrey Dean at Arundel

First day of four: Worcs 185-8 v Sussex

THE   portents   for   Worcestershire  were  not good when two of
their cars crashed into each other on the way to the  ground from
their  hotel.  Not long  after,  their  batting  suffered a shunt
on a slow pitch that seemed to demand  an  insertion.  Tom  Moody
chose  to  bat  on  the   grounds that conditions are unlikely to
change.

It  was  not  as if Worcestershire batted without  due  care  and
attention.  They were largely got out by some good  bowling, par-
ticularly from Vasbert  Drakes in  a  excellent  11-over  opening
spell.  The ball swung about disconcertingly, and when it seamed,
it went a long way.

Drakes  removed  both  openers  lbw before  beating  Graeme  Hick
with  a peach that swung late and took the edge to  second  slip.
The catcher, Robin Martin-Jenkins, had been brought in on the in-
sistence  of  chief executive Tony Pigott, in his new capacity as
selector  with final say.

Reuben  Spiring  matched the quality of  Moody`s  strokeplay  be-
fore  both  fell to James Kirtley when apparently well set. Moody
nicked a useful outswinger, whereupon Spiring threw  the  kitchen
sink  at  a  wide  half-volley  only to thick-edge it straight to
third man.

Gavin Haynes was out to a good one  from   Mark   Robinson   that
bounced  and David  Leatherdale  fell  to  a fine diving catch by
Drakes at backward point.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/)

Sussex succumb to pace By Geoffrey Dean at Arundel

Third  day  of  four: Sussex (71 & 149) lost to Worcs (255) by an
innings and 35 runs

SUSSEX`S woes continued as they lost 17 wickets in  the  day   to
suffer a third  defeat  in  four games. Their first-innings total
of 71 was their third in a week of under 75 following the debacle
at  Swansea.

In   conditions   yesterday   that were ideal for seam and swing,
Sussex were trapped, caught and gutted by  Worcestershire`s  pace
quar-  tet,  and in  particular  by the left-armer Alamgir Sheri-
yar. Sussex may be a team without conviction or self-belief,  and
with   their  confidence in their boots,  but Sheriyar`s  career-
best  six  for  19  and  first 10-wicket match return  was  well-
deserved.

Sheriyar,  23,  has  bowled a much better  line  this  season  in
Steve Rhodes`s  view,  and  here he consistently got the ball  in
the  right  areas, causing problems with his swing back  into the
right- handers. He yorked  Mark  Newell with  an  Wasim-like  in-
swinging  toe-crusher  and  hit  Robin Martin-Jenkins`s leg stump
with another in-ducker.

He also angled or nipped the ball away from the bat  skilfully to
induce edges from Keith Newell and Peter Moores.

David   Leatherdale   and   Stuart Lampitt also played their part
with their accurate swingers and skidding seamers.

Leatherdale bowled Toby Peirce with a  beauty  that  straightened
and  removed   Neil   Taylor   with a similarly fiendish delivery
that uprooted off stump. Lampitt darted the ball around both ways
to   finish  with  his  first  five-wicket  haul of the season as
Worcester took the ex- tra half-hour to finish Sussex off.


Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/)

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