Leicestershire v Sussex: Scores and match report from County Championship Division Two

Match scores (Grace Road): Close of play day three

Sussex beat Leicestershire by five wickets

Leicestershire 1st inns: 340 (Cosgrove 128, Horton 71, Chappel 44; Archer 5-67)

Leicestershire 2nd inns: 175 (Deardon 36; Archer 6-70)

Sussex 1st inns: 284 (Philander 73 no, Finch 61; McKay 4-35, Raine 3-49)

Sussex 2nd inns: 234-5 (Wells 90 no; Raine 3-50)

Day four report 

Luke Wells led Sussex to a five-wicket win over Leicestershire on the final afternoon of the Specsavers Division Two County Championship match at the Fischer County Ground.

The visitors resumed on 100 for two, chasing 232 to win - and although they lost three wickets, Wells got them over the line with an unbeaten 90 to make sure of a 21-point return.

Nightwatchman Danny Briggs was the first Sussex wicket to fall. Clint McKay found the edge of the bat, and Paul Horton at first slip held a brilliant catch one-handed to his left when the ball seemed to have gone past him.

Wells, 27 not out overnight, played himself back in and the left-hander received solid support from Staanie van Zyl in compiling a partnership of 70 for the fourth wicket. Neither batsman took unnecessary risks, although Wells did go to his half-century in style when he hit off-spinner Colin Ackermann for a well-timed straight six.

Just before lunch van Zyl decided to leave a delivery from Ben Raine bowled from around the wicket, which went on to knock his off-stump out of the ground.

Luke Wright went shortly after the break, edging a catch to Horton at first slip off Zak Chappell, and if Ned Eckersley had held a Wells edge behind the stumps off the same bowler shortly afterwards, Leicestershire might have had entertained hopes of an unlikely victory.

The chance was spilled, however, and the hosts picked up just six points as Wells and former Leicestershire player Michael Burgess saw the visitors home. 

Day three report

A six-wicket haul for Jofra Archer made Sussex favourites to win their Division Two match against Leicestershire at the Fischer County Ground.

Needing 234 to win, the visitors closed the third day on 85 for two, Leicestershire seamer Ben Raine having dismissed Sussex openers Harry Finch and Chris Nash.

Fast bowler Archer, 22, shouldered the burden for a Sussex attack deprived of the services of South African seamer Vernon Philander, who rolled an ankle in the field during the morning session.

With fellow South African David Wiese unable to bowl more than a handful of overs due to a stomach strain, Archer and left-arm spinner Danny Briggs produced outstanding efforts to give their side a good chance of securing a second successive Specsavers County Championship win.

The morning session had seen Barbados-born Archer have Paul Horton caught behind off a brutal lifter and pin Ned Eckersley lbw with a well-pitched up delivery which beat the batsman for pace.

Colin Ackermann was given out caught behind down the legside off Chris Jordan, but the biggest blow for the home side was the loss of in-form captain Mark Cosgrove, who went back to a delivery from Briggs, missed and was palpably lbw.

Shortly after lunch Mark Pettini got his bat down on an Archer yorker but was unable to prevent the ball rolling back on to his off-stump. Another quick, straight bouncer then accounted for Harry Dearden, the ball flicking the batsman's glove on its way through to the wicketkeeper.

Briggs dismissed Tom Wells in extraordinary fashion, putting up his right hand and deflecting a firmly-hit lofted straight drive into the air for Archer, at mid-on, to take a simple catch.

Raine edged a straight delivery from Briggs into the hands of Jordan at slip, and Clint McKay, having been horribly dropped by Wiese off Briggs, edged Archer into the slips where Finch held a smart low catch to his left.

Leicestershire's final pairing of Dieter Klein and Zak Chappell then fought hard to extend the Foxes lead to 241 before Klein was yorked by Archer.

Earlier in the day, Philander and Briggs extended their 10th-wicket partnership to 83, a county record for Sussex against Leicestershire, eclipsing the 80 compiled by John Vinsett and Harry Butt at Aylestone Road in 1909.

Day two report

An unbroken last wicket partnership of 75 between Vernon Philander and Danny Briggs frustrated Leicestershire after they had looked set to take a big first innings lead on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Sussex.

Australian seamer Clint McKay took four wickets as Leicestershire reduced the visitors to 201 for nine, replying to the home team's first innings 340.

But Philander, playing his last match for Sussex before returning to South Africa, hit a fine half-century, and Briggs gave him impressively determined support before bad light saw play end with 7.2 overs remaining in the day.

Sussex had been under pressure from the start of their innings after Zak Chappell bowled acting captain Chris Nash with a delivery which seamed back in to the right-hander, as well as keeping a touch low.

McKay then won two lbw decisions in as many balls, Luke Wells with a delivery which would have gone on to hit off-stump, and Stiaan van Zyl on the back foot to a ball that would have hit middle.

Luke Wright and Harry Finch had added 65 for the fourth wicket before Wright, who had hit eight fours in going to 36, tried to pull a delivery from Ben Raine which also kept low, and lost his off-stump.

The bounce was becoming increasingly unpredictable, and Michael Burgess, formerly of Leicestershire, never looked comfortable before going leg before to McKay.

Finch, who had battled his way through to a half-century, was bowled by a Raine delivery that straightened to hit the top of off-stump, and David Wiese, having been bowled by a Chappell no-ball, could not make the most of his reprieve, edging another Chappell delivery to wicket-keeper Ned Eckersley.

Chris Jordan was fortunate to edge McKay just short of Paul Horton at first slip, but the all-rounder began to settle and with Philander, took the visitors to within reach of the follow-on target of 191 at tea. Shortly after the break, however, Jordan drove at McKay without getting to the pitch of the ball and was brilliantly caught by Tom Wells diving to his left at cover.

Jofra Archer hooked a Dieter Klein bouncer straight to Mark Pettini at deep square leg, but Philander and Briggs played with rather more restraint in seeing their side through a further 25 overs before play ended.

Earlier the Foxes had lost their last three wickets in adding just 18 to their overnight score of 322-7. Jordan, wicket-less on the first day, had Chappell caught off at mid-off by Nash off a leading edge before McKay wafted outside off-stump to give Michael Burgess a simple catch behind the stumps.

Having pulled Jordan dismissively to the midwicket boundary, Mark Cosgrove, on 128, then failed to clear mid-off with an attempted lofted drive.

Day one report

Mark Cosgrove's unbeaten century helped leave Leicestershire in a healthy position following the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship against Sussex, for whom Jofra Archer shone with the ball.

It was confirmed before play that Cosgrove had signed a one-year contract extension with Leicestershire, tying him to the Foxes until the end of 2019, and the Australian celebrated with a masterful 122 not out at Grace Road.

That was the 32-year-old's second century in successive matches and allowed the Leicestershire captain to guide his side to 322 for seven at stumps.

Opener Paul Horton (71) and number nine Zak Chappell, who contributed 40 to an unbroken 51-run stand with Cosgrove, also impressed as Sussex paceman Archer threatened to run through the hosts.

The 22-year-old, playing only his 12th first-class match, bowled with intelligent accuracy as well as hostility on an essentially good pitch to finish with five for 61 from 25 overs of unremitting effort.

Without his contribution, Sussex's acting captain Chris Nash may have been left to rue his decision to exercise the away team's right to bowl first.

The morning had seen Leicestershire openers Horton and Harry Dearden bat through a rain-interrupted session during which only 17 overs were possible without being parted.

Once the shower clouds had cleared, however, Archer struck twice in a spell of eight consecutive overs from the Bennett End, during which he conceded only 11 runs.

He dismissed Dearden with a quick, rising delivery which seamed away from the left-hander, Chris Jordan holding a smart catch to his left at first slip, and produced a similar ball which took the shoulder of Colin Ackermann's bat to give Stiaan van Zyl a simple catch at third slip.

Cosgrove then had to fight hard to preserve his wicket, and was fortunate to survive after being squared up on a number of occasions, but once Archer came out of the attack, the Australian played with fluency and freedom, hitting eight boundaries in reaching his 50 off just 70 balls.

At the other end, the experienced Horton dug in, taking 126 balls to reach his own half-century, but was bowled driving loosely at an Archer delivery that seamed back to hit the top of off-stump.

Ned Eckersley was caught at mid-on trying to hit spinner Danny Briggs out of the attack, and both Mark Pettini and Tom Wells looked to be beaten by pace as they were trapped lbw by Archer.

Cosgrove stood firm, however, reaching his century off 144 balls, and with Archer finally tiring, Chappell's late contribution saw the Foxes through to a third batting bonus point.