County Championship: Joe Root in wickets as Sussex bat out draw at Yorkshire

George Hill struck with only his second ball during the early stages of day four, a full ball trapping nightwatchman Jack Carson lbw for six.

That brought together Clark, who finished with 16 fours in 177 balls, and England Lion Coles.

Here is a player in Clark who clearly likes batting in the month of April. He has scored three of his five career Championship centuries in the summer’s opening month dating back to his first in 2022.

Unfortunately for the 24-year-old, he was stopped just short of another by Root, caught behind during the first half of the afternoon as the score fell to 224-5, a lead of 215.

Lions all-rounder Coles, is one of the most talked about young players in the country after his recent £390,000 pick by London Spirit in The Hundred.

He counter-attacked and was punishing on anything which erred in length – either full or short. One on-driven boundary against Hill was as good as any shot across the four days played out on a benign pitch, while he later viciously pulled the other morning wicket-taker Jhye Richardson.

Australia Test quick Richardson struggled for rhythm in this match and leaked runs in both innings. But he did bowl Daniel Hughes with a beauty late on day three and bowled Coles just before lunch on day four as the batter advanced down the pitch towards the off-side and was undone looking to hit to leg.

That left Sussex at 152-4 just before lunch, a lead of 146.

Yorkshire employed spin from both ends for the majority of the afternoon in Root and fellow off-spinner Dom Bess, and they had success as Sussex fell to 234-7 with a little over 45 overs remaining in the day – a lead of 225.

Clark’s departure was followed by Jack Leaning brilliantly caught one-handed at slip by Hill off Bess for 40, the catcher anticipating a reverse sweep. Root then flattened first-innings centurion John Simpson’s off-stump for only six.

Root then had Tom Price caught at backward point for 13 – 252-8. Price was batting with a runner following the ankle injury he suffered fielding at the start of day three.

Sussex reached tea at 272-8 leading by 263 with 32 overs remaining, and their task of batting for survival had been all but rubber-stamped.

Root bowled with the new ball after tea as the game drifted while Sussex captain Ollie Robinson finished unbeaten on 41.

Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.