Sussex opener Tom Haines scored his first century in the Vitality County Championship since September 2022, making 133 runs. Although their game against Northamptonshire at the 1st Central County Ground looks likely to end in a draw, the 25-year-old left-hander eased to the tenth first-class hundred of his career.
Haines had hit six fifties last season without converting any of them into a century. Sussex reached 351 for 6 at stumps on day three, trailing by 20.
At 94 for 3, they encountered a problem. However, James Coles, who recently turned 20, enhanced his growing reputation with a stylish 78. He achieved this feat in a fourth-wicket partnership of 137, in addition to taking three wickets.
Left-arm spinner Saif Zaib halted Sussex's progress by dismissing both set batters and Sussex captain John Simpson. In the final hour, Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Danny Lamb regained the initiative with some aggressive batting. Hudson-Prentice smashed a fifty off just 38 balls as they added 93 runs from 70 balls before bad light stopped play with 7.4 overs remaining.
It was Haines' day. He offered one difficult chance on 107, which wicketkeeper Lewis McManus put down by diving to his left. Otherwise, he looked comfortable driving or accumulating steadily off the back foot.
Haines and his new opening partner, Tom Clark, began Sussex's reply with an untroubled 55-run stand. However, Clark was dismissed leg before wicket while pushing forward to off-spinner Rob Keogh. Keogh struck again when Tom Alsop missed a delivery down the leg side, which went between his legs, and Lewis McManus completed an easy stumping.
The persistent Ben Sanderson, who was the standout performer of the Northants' attack, dislodged Oli Carter's off stump with a no ball. He repeated the delivery two balls later, this time legally. With the Kookaburra ball providing minimal movement and only slight turn, Haines and Coles managed to reverse the situation.
Haines reached his fifty by pulling Australian Chris Tremain for four. Coles, who demonstrated his strength through the leg side, quickly got into his stride by skipping down the pitch to loft Zaib over long-on for six. Although Bartlett dropped a catch when Coles was on 38, Coles made serene progress. Unfortunately, deep into the final session, Bartlett was hit on the helmet by Haines and had to go off.
Haines scored his second century against Northants by hitting a single off Sanderson. Coles also seemed likely to score a century, but both players lost their wickets to Zaib. Coles hit a long hop to mid-on, and Haines hit a full toss to mid-off after facing 183 balls and hitting 19 fours. In between, Simpson played on as Zaib collected three wickets in a Championship innings for the first time since 2016.
At the start of the day, Northants added 78 runs in an hour before being dismissed for 371. Sussex took an early wicket as Michael Finan drove loosely to extra cover, giving Jayden Seales his fourth wicket. Seales would have had a debut five-for if Jack Carson had not dropped a regulation catch at fourth slip, which allowed Sanderson to continue his innings despite not having scored yet.
Sanderson's aggressive batting proved costly. He hit two boundaries off Ollie Robinson's first over and put on 41 runs at a run rate of more than one per ball for the ninth wicket with McManus.
Robinson eventually dismissed Sanderson (27) when he top-edged an attempted pull. McManus went on to score a well-made fifty before being caught off a top-edge, giving left-arm spinner Coles his third wicket. Seales was the standout performer with figures of 4 for 86. Robinson bowled 22 overs, including seven maidens, and took 2 for 67.