RESULT
Hove, April 27 - 29, 2010, County Championship Division Two
114 & 338
(T:61) 392 & 64/0

Sussex won by 10 wickets

Report

Eighth-wicket stand puts Sussex in command

Centuries from captain Murray Goodwin and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan helped put Sussex on course for a fourth successive victory in Division Two of the County Championship

28-Apr-2010
Leicestershire 114 and 226 for 3 v Sussex 392
Scorecard
Centuries from captain Murray Goodwin and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan helped put Sussex on course for a fourth successive victory in Division Two of the County Championship. The pair shared an eighth-wicket stand of 164 in 32.2 overs to help their side to 392 all out - a lead of 278 - on the second day against Leicestershire at Hove.
The visitors closed on 226 for 3 in their second innings, held together by a unbeaten 68 from Paul Nixon, but still 52 runs behind. Goodwin moved into ninth place on the all-time list of Sussex's century makers with 41 as he and Rana hammered some woeful bowling during a morning session when 166 runs were plundered in 32 overs.
Only acting captain Andrew McDonald seemed able to stem the flow of runs as both batsmen attacked seam and spin with relish. Rana began the day 24 runs behind his partner but reached his hundred three balls before Goodwin.
It was the fifth hundred of his career and second for Sussex and included nine fours and two sixes, both off slow left-armer Claude Henderson. He had added a single when he mis-timed a drive at McDonald and was caught at mid off, having faced 113 balls for his first century at Hove.
Goodwin lost little in comparison and was merciless when Leicestershire's attack fed his favourite areas square on the off side. He recorded the 60th first-class century of his career and it was a surprise when McDonald trapped him leg before for 142 from 173 balls which included 21 fours and two sixes, both carved powerfully over point as he took advantage of a short boundary.
Leicestershire wrapped up the innings when Wayne White, surprisingly left out of the attack during the morning session, had Monty Panesar caught behind but Sussex's last two wickets had still added 67.
It left Leicestershire with a mountain to climb as they tried to avoid their first Championship defeat of the season. Opener Will Jefferson should have gone first ball but Michael Thornely dropped him at third slip off Rana.
Jefferson made the most of his reprieve to hit eight fours as Rana and Corey Collymore continued to be plagued by over-stepping. But he was undone by some clever captaincy from Goodwin, who moved Chris Nash on to the mid-wicket boundary and saw his plan come to fruition when Jefferson pulled the next ball from James Anyon obligingly into the fielder's hands.
Anyon struck again later in his spell when Boyce was caught low down at slip by Matt Prior after being forced onto the back foot. But veteran Nixon and James Taylor steadied their side with a third-wicket stand of 65 until Anyon returned after tea to trap Taylor in front with his nip-backer.
Nixon, however, had resisted for 132 balls by the close while McDonald played some aggressive shots in helping him add an unbroken 70 in 12 overs for the fourth wicket.