Jack Carson 81* repels Worcestershire as young Sussex put in battling display

Jack Carson hit a career best 81 not out to lead a strong fightback by the lower Sussex order on day one of the LV=Insurance County Championship match with Worcestershire at New Road.

Carson came to the wicket at 138 for 7 and struck four sixes and nine fours to help Sussex recover to 254 for 9 from 79.4 overs when bad light halted play for the day. He received excellent support from Dan Ibrahim and Henry Crocombe in stands of 45 and 66 to shepherd the visitors to two batting points.

Carson profited from being caught by Worcestershire keeper Ben Cox off a no-ball by Ed Barnard when he had made only 2.

Worcestershire club captain Joe Leach returned his best figures of the campaign - 4 for 67 from 21 overs - as Sussex were reduced to 97 for 6 at one stage but then came the Carson rescue act.

Sussex opted to bat and fielded a side with six teenagers and no capped players and an average age of nineteen-and-a-half.

Leach made the first breakthrough when Sussex captain Tom Haines pushed forward to a delivery and was lbw.

Ali Orr, a century-maker in the Royal London Cup game at New Road earlier this month, again looked in good touch although he survived a confident leg before shout against Ed Barnard when on 18.

Adam Finch came into the attack and struck when Harrison Ward nibbled at a ball slanted across him and was caught by Jack Haynes at third slip. James Coles had his middle stump knocked back after driving at Pennington.

Sussex reached 71 for 3 by lunch but Leach struck twice in two balls shortly after the resumption in another fine spell. Ollie Carter shouldered arms and was bowled by the final ball of one over and then the first delivery of the next over from Leach saw on loan Fynn Hudson-Prentice perish to a superb catch by Cox - the wicketkeeper reacting sharply to hold on to the nick one-handed low to his right.

Orr brought up his half-century off 117 balls with 10 fours. He had a slice of luck on 51 when mistiming a pull against Leach just wide of mid wicket. But he added only one more run before his back foot slipped against a delivery from Finch and he was out hit wicket.

Ed Barnard accounted for first-class debutant Archie Lenham, who went for a pull but only edged through to Cox who pulled off another fine legside catch. But Carson had his escape off Barnard and then Ibrahim was dropped by Cox off Pennington.

Leach returned after tea to have Ibrahim, on 48, lbw but some big hitting from Carson, including three sixes in the space of two overs from off spinner Josh Baker, lifted the total past the 200 mark. He dominated the partnership with Crocombe, who as lbw to Brett D'Oliveira shortly before the premature close.