LONDON, CMC – Former West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards snatched a five-wicket haul for Hampshire while rookie Bermudian left-hander Delray Rawlins shone with his maiden first class hundred for Sussex, to grab some of the headlines in the English County Championship yesterday.
Playing at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, the 37-year-old Edwards finished with five for 118 as Kent, resuming the third day on 319 for three in their first innings, were dismissed for 555.
Fellow seamers Gareth Berg (2-67) and Keith Barker (2-78) claimed two wickets apiece.
England batsman Joe Denly slammed an imperious 154 while captain Heino Kuhn (95), Daniel Bell-Drummond (94) and veteran Darren Stevens (60) supported with half-centuries.
Resuming on 138, Denly stretched his fourth wicket stand with Kuhn to 77 before becoming the day’s first casualty, lbw to Barker with the score on 345.
Edwards then carried the Hampshire attack manfully, taking four of the last six wickets to fall. He broke a promising fifth wicket stand of 55 between Kuhn and Ollie Robinson (29), trapping the latter lbw before bowling Grant Stewart without scoring with just 10 runs added to the total at 410 for six.
Stevens arrived to lash eight fours and two sixes in a breezy 77-ball knock, adding 92-runs for the seventh wicket with Kuhn before Edwards again intervened, accounting for both before Berg finished off the innings.
Trailing by 146 on first innings, Hampshire ended the day on 119 for two in their second innings.
At Old Trafford, the 21-year-old Rawlins struck a splendid run-a-ball 100 but the knock was in vain as Sussex crashed to an innings and 51-run defeat to Lancashire inside three days.
Resuming the penultimate day on 15 without loss having conceded a massive first innings lead of 367, the visitors were bowled out for 316 with David Wiese hitting a cavalier 77.
Sussex were slumping at 39 for four before Rawlins came to his side’s rescue, posting 78 for the fifth wicket with opener Philip Salt (37) before adding a further 128 for the sixth wicket with Wiese.
All told, Rawlins punched 12 fours and three sixes in 128 minutes at the crease while Wiese faced 73 deliveries and counted 13 fours and a six.
Once Rawlins was caught and bowled by leg-spinner Matt Parkinson soon after reaching three figures, the innings declined quickly as the last five wickets perished for 71 runs.
