County Championship: Sussex’s John Simpson hits maiden double ton at Leicestershire

John Simpson struck a maiden double century as Sussex put Leicestershire to the sword on day three of their County Championship game.

Simpson finished on 205 not out, having shared a seventh-wicket partnership of 255 with Danny Lamb, whose 134 was also a career best.

Ari Karvelas scored 55 and it was with his dismissal six overs after tea that Sussex declared with a first-innings lead of 356 in reply to Leicestershire’s 338 all out, with 24 overs left.

There was barely a hint of a breakthrough until five overs after lunch when Lamb, on 85, got to a legside delivery from Matt Salisbury but Ben Cox could only help it to the boundary.

Simpson reached his fifty from 108 balls and his hundred from 197, passing the bigger milestone when he swivel-pulled Salisbury for his 15th four. The shot brought up the Sussex 450 for good measure.

Lamb was quicker to a hundred than his partner by some distance, needing just 108 balls, adding 10 fours to the four sixes.

He brought out the scoop for six number five off Ben Mike, launching Liam Trevaskis high over long-on to chalk up the 500 with his sixth maximum and reverse-sweeping Louis Kimber for his seventh. He was, however, bowled attempting to heave Trevaskis over mid-wicket.

Jack Carson then hit two sixes in a 23-ball 38 and Simpson added five sixes to 23 fours, his second hundred coming off 97 balls, before calling time on the innings when Karvelas was caught at long-off from Kimber’s bowling.

Leicestershire negotiated the first 14 overs of the second innings without mishap until Carson brought a breakthrough as the off-spinner had Australian opener Marcus Harris caught at short leg.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters’ Network.