County Championship: Opening day dreams turn to nightmares for Tykes

Yorkshire v Sussex, Headingley, 1st day, County Championship

Sussex 104 for 3 (Nash 80) lead Yorkshire 96 (Jordon 6-48) by 8 runs

All the winter planning and preparation was thrown out of the window on the opening day of the Championship season as Sussex new boy Chris Jordan ripped through the Yorkshire batting line-up, leaving them all out for 96 and taking six wickets in the process.

Any new season optimism the White Rose County many have had on their return to top division was quickly doused. After losing the toss and being put into bat, they disintegrated as quickly as the pitch to 40 for four at lunch.

No amount of cake and cups of tea were enough to stem the tide and Sussex wrapped the innings up in quick-time, the Yorkshire innings coming to a close on a measly 96.

In what is Yorkshire’s 150th anniversary, much had been expected on their return to the top tier despite coach Jason Gillespie and captain Andrew Gale’s repeated insistence as to how tough it would be, but this batting performance would have caught even the hardiest of Tyke supporter off-guard, with only three batsmen reaching double figures.

It was Jordan, evidently surplus to requirements at Surrey, who gained the plaudits, bowling with pace and accuracy to take career-best figures of 6-48. Jordan’s exemplary line and length proved too much for the majority of the home-side technique on these early season pitches. Captain Andrew Gale alluded as much when describing some of the dismissals as ‘soft’, though the captain himself was slightly unfortunate to edge a leg-side delivery to the ‘keeper.

Only Alex Lees, opening due to the absence of Joe Root, mustered any kind of solid defence to the moving ball, sticking around for a composed 79 minutes and 51 balls, if only to add six to the scorecard. On a day like today though, Yorkshire will be looking to grab hold of the slightest positive, and the Halifax-born batsmen, who will turn 20 this week, really was as good as it got.

Things didn’t improve in the field much, with Jack Brookes, making his Championship debut for his new county, being smashed for four boundaries off seven deliveries by Chris Nash. It was that kind of day.

Ryan Sidebottom offered the faintest glimmer of light for the Yorkshire faithful, trapping Luke Wells for two and then having Mike Yardy caught behind by Bairstow for 14, but the former Sussex captain had already added 76 in partnership with Nash who would go on to make an excellent 80 before nicking one to Bairstow off Sidebottam just before the close of play with Sussex 104-3.

They say tomorrow’s another day, but Andrew Gale will be hoping for quick wickets and a vast improvement in form or this could well quickly turn into a long, arduous summer for the Tykes.