Din 1: Wickets ka Din aur Dilon ka Imtihaan
Utilita Bowl mein shuru hone wale is match mein Hampshire ne toss jeet kar batting ka faisla kiya lekin green pitch ne seam bowlers ko madad di. Sussex ke fast bowler Henry Crocombe, jo chot ke baad pehla match khel rahe the, ne kamaal ka spell dala. Unhon ne sirf 11 balls mein 4 wickets le kar Hampshire ko sirf 154 runs par all-out kar diya. Unke shikar mein Liam Dawson, Toby Albert aur James Fuller shaamil the. Hudson-Prentice ne bhi apna hissa daala aur Fletcha Middleton ko LBW out kiya, jab ke Jack Carson ne apne doosre over mein Nick Gubbins ko nikaala.
Hampshire ki batting line-up mein Middleton (34) aur Ben Brown ne kuch resistance dikhayi, lekin 5 batsmen duck par out huye.
Sussex ka jawab bhi aasan nahi tha. Hampshire ke John Turner, jo Dale Steyn ke saath winter training kar ke aaye the, ne tez bowling ka jadoo dikhaya. Unhon ne 9 balls mein 3 wickets le kar Sussex ko 83 for 5 par gira diya. Lekin John Simpson (pehle ball par drop huye) aur Fynn Hudson-Prentice ne sambhal liya. Din ke end tak Sussex 110 for 5 tak pahunch gaya, sirf 44 runs peeche aur momentum unki taraf tha.
Din 2: Simpson aur Hudson-Prentice ka Shandar Partnership
Doosre din Simpson aur Hudson-Prentice ne Sussex ki innings ko 173-run partnership ke zariye stable kiya. Simpson ne 106 runs banaye – unka 18wa first-class century – jo 2025 mein unka teesra century tha. Unko pehle ball par aur 104 par drop kiya gaya – aur ek baar toh out hone par bump ball ka decision bhi unke haq mein gaya.
Hudson-Prentice ne bhi 78 runs banaye aur unko bhi 51 aur 70 par drop kiya gaya. In dono ne Hampshire ke bowlers ko thaka diya aur unki fielding ki kami ka pura faida uthaya. Jab tak Hudson-Prentice Wheal ke haath LBW huye, Sussex ne already 143-run ki lead le li thi. Jack Carson ne bhi Simpson ka sath diya aur innings ko mazeed extend kiya.
Hampshire ki Doosri Inning: Ek Aur Collapse
Hampshire ko 143-run ki kami poori karni thi, lekin unki doosri innings bhi pehli jaise hi gir gayi. Din ke end tak wo 114 for 6 par the – abhi bhi 29 runs peeche. Unki batting ek baar phir middle-order collapse ka shikar hui, aur Sussex ke disciplined bowlers ne poori tarah se dominate kiya. Fielding aur temperament dono mein Hampshire peechay reh gayi.
Star Performers: Simpson aur Hudson-Prentice
John Simpson ne match ka rukh badla. Unki century ne Sussex ko lead dilayi aur unka experience aur leadership field par dikhayi di. 2024 mein bhi unhone 5 centuries banaye thay, jo Sussex ki promotion mein crucial thay.
Fynn Hudson-Prentice, jo Sussex academy ka graduate hai aur 2021 mein Derbyshire se wapas aaye thay, ne all-round performance di. Unke 78 runs aur pehle Middleton ka wicket unki importance dikhate hain. Is match se pehle bhi wo Worcestershire ke khilaf 5 for 40 le chuke hain – unka career best.
Context aur Match ka Asar
Sussex ka Hampshire ke khilaf recent record behtar raha hai – last 5 mein se 3 jeet chuke hain. Is match mein unki bowling attack ne, especially Crocombe, Carson, aur Hudson-Prentice, Hampshire ki batting flaws ko expose kiya.
Hampshire ne pichhle match mein Warwickshire ko haraya tha, lekin unki consistency phir se sawal ke ghere mein hai. Dropped catches aur fragile batting line-up unko musibat mein daal sakti hai, specially jab Vitality Blast jaise tournaments nazdik hain.
Akhri Baat
Simpson aur Hudson-Prentice ki 173-run ki partnership ne match ka rukh Sussex ki taraf mod diya. Simpson ki century aur Hudson-Prentice ki all-round performance ne Hampshire ke batting aur fielding mein kamzori dikhayi. Jab match day 3 aur 4 mein daakhil ho raha hai, Sussex jeet ke kareeb hai aur Hampshire ko apne season ko bachane ke liye solid fightback ki zarurat hai.
