Sussex v Gloucestershire: Match scores and report

Match scores (Hove)

Match drawn

Sussex 1st inns: 358-9 dec (Wright 118, Brown 52, Jordan 50; Taylor 3-93, Payne 2-35, Miles 2-92)

Sussex 2nd inns: 142-1 dec (Finch 74*, Wells 44*)

Gloucestershire 1st inns: 150-1 dec (Bancroft 69*, Tavare 43*)

Gloucestershire 2nd inns: 212-6 (Taylor 69*, Hankins 51, Noema-Barnett 37*; Archer 2-31, Jordan 2-47, Sakande 2-53)

Day four report

Gloucestershire held on for a draw against Sussex in the rain-affected day-night Specsavers County Championship Division Two match at Hove.

Visitors Gloucestershire had been set 351 to win in 75 overs and at 30 for three at lunch, seemed to be slumping towards defeat.

Jofra Archer had been at the heart of the Sussex challenge with two wickets. He had Chris Dent caught behind for 10 and then plucked out Gareth Roderick's off stump with a snorter in the last over before the break.

Abi Sakande had taken the first wicket, bowling Cameron Bancroft for 13. After lunch it was Archer the fielder who inspired his side, with two magnificent catches at long-leg off the bowling of Chris Jordan.

First he dismissed Phil Mustard, high above his head and inches away from the ropes.Then, just before tea, he pulled off an even better one, this time diving forward to catch George Hankins.

The obdurate Hankins had provided Gloucestershire's main middle-order resistance, with a two-hour 51. That left Gloucestershire in serious danger of defeat, at 117 for six with one session to go. 

But Jack Taylor played a feisty innings in the gloaming, scoring 69 not out, and they did not lose another wicket.

Gloucestershire had declared their first innings overnight, on 150 for one, conceding a disadvantage of 208 runs.

When Sussex batted in their second innings it resembled the sort of pre-declaration bowling, but with 150 overs lost to bad weather, including the whole of the second day, both sides needed to do something positive to produce a finish.

Sussex thrashed 142 from 18.1 overs in their second knock, for the loss of just one wicket. It took them only 55 minutes. Harry Finch scored 74 from 59 balls, with a dozen fours, and Luke Wells hit five fours and a six in his 44. 

Day three report

Only 45 overs were possible at drizzly Hove with Sussex's Specsavers County Championship match against Gloucestershire destined for a draw unless the rival captains can conjure up a final-day run chase.

Play was restricted to three spells, the lengthiest 32.1 overs in the middle session, and at stumps Gloucestershire had reached 150 for one in reply to Sussex's 358 for nine declared.

The floodlights stayed on throughout but the pink ball did little to assist Sussex's seamers while Gloucestershire's batsmen settled for steady accumulation on a slow pitch with a damp outfield a further frustration.

Cameron Bancroft made his second successive championship half-century and Abi Sakande, Sussex's promising 22-year-old seamer, was rewarded for an impressive spell with his first wicket in four-day cricket.

But with Gloucestershire still 208 behind, it will need some imaginative declarations to ensure a decent finish with 150 overs lost so far including the entire second day.

Bancroft, the 24-year-old from Perth, showed admirable application in the tough conditions, although he would have been run out on 31 had Jofra Archer's shy at the stumps at the non-striker's end hit.

He put on 68 with Chris Dent before Sakande's big moment when Dent mistimed a pull and was held at deep midwicket for 21.

Will Tavare, too, had a let-off on 17 when he drove left-arm spinner Danny Briggs to mid-on but David Wiese failed to cling on to a difficult chance above his head, despite getting both hands on the ball.

The ground was virtually deserted when play resumed for the final time at 9pm and Gloucestershire's second-wicket pair extended their stand to 82 from 27 overs with Bancroft unbeaten on 69 and Tavare 43 not out at stumps.

Day two report

There was no play at Hove on Tuesday as the second day of Sussex's Specsavers County Championship match against Gloucestershire was washed out.

The start was delayed because of drizzle, and although umpires Paul Baldwin and Steve O'Shaughnessy planned to get underway at 3.15pm, the rain returned just as the last of the protective covers were coming off.

As the downpour continued, play was called off at 6.30pm. Gloucestershire are 31 without loss replying to Sussex's 358 for nine declared.

Day one report

Luke Wright made his first century since 2015 to give Sussex the advantage on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Gloucestershire at Hove.

Wright, in only his third game since giving up the captaincy, made 118 - his best score since he posted a career-best 226 against Worcestershire in September 2015. It was also his first hundred at Hove for two days shy of two years.

With his successor as skipper Ben Brown making 52 and Chris Jordan 50, Sussex recovered from 69 for three to post 358 for nine declared.

They then had seven overs in the twilight with the pink ball but Gloucestershire openers Cameron Bancroft and Chris Dent got through unscathed, reaching 31 for no loss at stumps.

A crowd of 2,000 was boosted by around 650 local schoolchildren and they enjoyed an entertaining day, with Wright leading an aggressive counter-attack by Sussex during the afternoon session when they plundered 173 runs.

Wright was in the mood from the very start, lofting his first ball from off-spinner Jack Taylor for one of three sixes. There were also 14 fours including a straight drive to the boundary which brought up the 17th century of his first-class career.

The way Wright, and later Brown and Jordan, stroked the pink ball over a fast outfield was in contrast to what happened at the start of the day and again when Gloucestershire took the new ball and immediately claimed three wickets.

Fit-again Liam Norwell and David Payne were rewarded with a wicket apiece as Harry Finch and Delray Rawlins, opening after Chris Nash was struck in practice and suffered concussion, departed cheaply.

Luke Wells hit seven fours in his 36 before Taylor had him caught at slip, after the ball had deflected off wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick.

Wright then transformed the day, first with Stiaan van Zyl - with whom he added 99 in 19 overs before the South African was held at short leg off Taylor - and then alongside Brown.

If anything, Wright and Brown increased the tempo. Both attacked anything off line and the ball had to be changed after 54 overs due to Wright having clattered it into the protective covers beyond the boundary.

His hundred came up off exactly 100 balls while Brown, returning after six weeks out with a broken finger, matched him shot for shot as they put on 92 in 18 overs. Brown fell two balls after reaching his fifty from 60 deliveries with seven fours and a six and Wright departed after tea to a brilliant one-handed catch at mid-wicket by Phil Mustard, his 118 coming off 129 balls.

David Wiese and Chris Jordan took the attack back to Gloucestershire, adding 57 in 13 overs for the seventh wicket, but the new ball swung markedly as the floodlights took effect and Gloucestershire picked up three quick wickets, Craig Miles taking two of them in the same over including Jordan for a 78-ball fifty with eight fours.

Sussex declared shortly after claiming a fourth bowling point, but could not make a breakthrough before the close.