Warwickshire 267 and 154 for 5 (Yates 75*) lead Sussex 204 (Carson 39, Robinson 39, Bamber 3-47) by 217 runs
Warwickshire last won a County Championship match at Hove in 2009 but have put themselves in a strong position to do so again after taking a grip on this see-sawing encounter. Having restricted Sussex to 204, Ethan Bamber's skillful probing bagging him 3 for 47, they then recovered from a second top-order collapse in the match to be leading by 217 with five wickets in hand at the halfway stage.
Sussex, inspired by Fynn Hudson-Prentice's three-wicket new-ball burst, had threatened to drag the contest their way again, reducing Warwickshire to 28 for 4 shortly after a brief squall had brought about an early tea. But with Rob Yates chugging away like a reliable steam engine to be 75 off 124 at the close, Warwickshire re-established their bridgehead, captain Ed Barnard providing a little more oomph in an 81-run fifth-wicket stand as the skies cleared during the evening session.
A 20-year-old Chris Woakes played in Warwickshire's innings victory here 17 years ago (taking 3 for 64 to go with a seven-ball duck), as did the current head coach, Ian Westwood. While Woakes, now greying of quiff, was not at his best with the ball on this occasion, it was his momentum-stealing half-century that enabled the visitors to escape from a parlous 117 for 6 on day one.
Paul Farbrace warned his players about the perils of having one bad session on their return to Division One last year, and Sussex were duly left to rue a disastrous collapse on the second morning that left them behind in a low-scoring game. After an opening stand worth 58, they lost eight wickets for 72, and even some retaliatory lower-order clumping from Sussex's captain, Ollie Robinson - who at one point ramped Beau Webster over the keeper's head - could only whittle down the first-innings deficit to 63.
Such are Sussex's finances that it might have been fair to expect a few "chief executive pitches" at Hove this season (although whether the logic, which used to hold for Tests, that the longer the game the more profitable applies to county cricket is probably up for debate). But while the deck looked inviting enough that both sides would have batted first, it has seen 25 wickets fall inside two days, offering just enough assistance for seam throughout.
The club's new chief executive, Mark West, has other schemes in mind to increase revenue, at any rate. Entry will be free on Sunday, which might be as far as this game runs unless the surface eases (and Sussex bat better second time around).
The morning began with Hove swaddled in low cloud and a chill breeze whipping across the ground. Sussex's openers, Tom Haines and Daniel Hughes, took advantage of some initially wayward Warwickshire bowling to rattle up their 12th 50-plus stand in three seasons, allowing the members getting settled with their thermos flasks and windcheaters to envision a day of steady accumulation ahead, in response to the visitors' 267.
Then Haines drove loosely at Bamber, who nibbled the ball back through the gate to disturb off stump, and Sussex promptly nosedived from 58 for 0 to 83 for 5 in half an hour's calamitous cricket that could well decide their fate. They stumbled further, to be 130 for 8 one ball after lunch - before being partially bailed out by a 66-run stand for the ninth wicket between Robinson and Jack Carson.
Warwickshire, who drew nine of their 14 games last year, look to have more of a cutting edge this season - even if they could not break down Surrey in last week's opener at Edgbaston. The availability of Woakes now that his England career is over should help, although he was wayward in his opening spell. Bamber was instead the catalyst, having Tom Clark miscue to mid-off to make it two in four balls, before a couple of loose shots - and perhaps a generous lbw decision or two - sent Sussex into a downward spiral.
James Coles, Sussex's bright young thing in the middle order, struck a pair of crisp boundaries before wafting to slip off Barnard's fourth ball (he had been dropped at midwicket, a tough chance low to the left of Jordan Thompson, the over before). Hughes then looked a touch unlucky to be given out, with Michael Booth's delivery pitching in line with leg stump at best. John Simpson's angry swish of the bat after nicking behind aiming a drive at Barnard in the following over was indicative of the Sussex mood.
It might have been worse, with Jack Leaning edging his first ball inches short of first slip. Leaning and Tom Price eked out a partnership worth 30, only for both to go in the space of eight balls: Leaning reaching out in front to edge Thompson to slip, before the returning Woakes won another marginal decision against Price with one angling in.
After Hudson-Prentice feathered another excellent delivery from Bamber, Carson and Robinson largely took sensible options to get Sussex's total somewhere towards respectability. Robinson then produced a nine-over spell either side of tea in an attempt to galvanise his side; he went wicketless, despite a full-throated appeal for lbw against Alex Davies second ball.
