Steve Smith was kept waiting for his first County Championship innings but had an excellent vantage point as Sussex team-mate Ollie Robinson ripped through Worcestershire.
The pair will be on opposing sides in this summer’s Ashes but are sharing a dressing room for now after Sussex somewhat controversially snapped up the former Australia captain for three Division Two matches.
He has been restricted to a fielding brief so far at New Road, watching from the slips and maybe making some mental notes as Robinson took top billing with seven wickets for 59 runs in Worcestershire’s 264 all out.
Robinson was nursing soreness in his back towards the end of England’s winter and this was just his second match of the season, but the seamer was a cut above as he took the first four wickets to fall.
Worcestershire recovered from 44 for five, with Adam Hose’s 59 followed by belligerent half-centuries down the order from Matthew Waite and Joe Leach, who put on 103 in 14.4 overs when Robinson was out of the attack.
But Robinson found the top of Waite’s off-stump for 59 from 54 deliveries in his first over back and then combined with Smith to remove Waite for a run-a-ball 53 as Worcestershire folded before Sussex closed on 63 for one at the end of the opening day, shortened by 21 overs because of bad light.
The expectation might have been on Sussex to bat first upon winning the toss under gloriously sunny skies but Cheteshwar Pujara’s decision to field was vindicated by Robinson’s opening burst of 7-0-30-4.
Ed Pollock collected an all-run four from the first ball of the day but another injudicious drive later in the over caught the outside edge and flew to Tom Clark, who moved across Smith to take the catch.
Azhar Ali, the ex-Pakistan skipper and jewel in Worcestershire’s crown, was caught on the crease and adjudged lbw by one angling into him while Jack Haynes, who bagged a pair against Gloucestershire last week, made just a single here before being squared up and nicking low to Tom Alsop at first slip.
Robinson had his and Sussex’s fourth when he snaked through a gap between Jake Libby’s bat and pad to uproot middle stump while Worcestershire were five down inside 50 minutes when captain Brett D’Oliveira was surprised by the extra bounce from Fynn Hudson-Prentice and an edge squirted to third slip.
Hose and Gareth Roderick settled once Robinson was withdrawn from the firing line, the pair putting on 92 either side of lunch, showing the kind of resistance that eluded those higher up the order.
Sean Hunt got a deserved wicket when Roderick feathered through to Oli Carter for 39 and the end looked nigh when Hose’s stumps were rearranged by Henry Crocombe’s precise yorker.
But Waite gave an indication of what was to come when he twice freed his arms off Hunt for leg-side sixes – another followed off Crocombe – while Leach found the boundary rope with regularity in a counter-attacking union that led to Pujara returning to Robinson sooner than may have been anticipated.
Robinson needed just six balls to break the enterprising stand, locating the top of off-stump to dismiss Waite, before Smith had his first tangible moment of the match when Leach was drawn into a stroke off the rampant bowler.
Last man Ben Gibbon lasted just two balls as he was pinned lbw to become Robinson’s seventh victim, with Worcestershire losing their final three wickets inside 13 deliveries.
Sussex openers Ali Orr and Clark showed better judgement than their Worcestershire counterparts, putting on 37 in gloomy conditions.
Clark was punished for driving loosely off Josh Tongue to depart for 12 but Orr was there on 37 not out, with Alsop unbeaten on 11, when the players came off under darkening skies.
Livingstone lights up Lord's as England level ODI series
England showed their power with the bat and ball as they levelled their ODI series with a 186-run thumping of Australia in a rain-delayed match at Lord's.
Harry Brook, Ben Duckett and a blistering batting display from Liam Livingstone sent England on their way before Matthew Potts starred with the ball in hand.
After a relatively quiet start to the top order that saw Phil Salt (22) and Will Jacks (10) fall early, Brook quickly found his rhythm, cruising to a 37-ball half-century.
Duckett's 63 runs from 62 deliveries, coupled with Brook (87), saw England take control, but the pair were dismissed within eight overs of each other.
However, a late onslaught ensued when Livingstone was welcomed to the crease, notching an unbeaten 62 runs from 27 deliveries, a knock that included seven sixes, four of which came as he took 28 off the last over of the innings from Mitchell Starc.
With England ending on 312-5, Australia started their chase strongly, but the wickets of Mitchell Marsh (28), Travis Head (34) and Steve Smith (five) within four overs started the tourists' collapse.
Australia crumbled from 68-0 to 126 all out in 24.4 overs, with Potts (4-38) doing most of the damage, with Adil Rashid (1-11) sealing the win with the wicket of Josh Hazlewood to force a decider in Bristol on Sunday.
Data Debrief: Livingstone leads comeback
In a game that saw a number of standout performers, Livingstone's display with the bat broke ODI records for matches at Lord's.
The Lancashire spin bowler's 25-ball half-century was the fastest seen at Lord's, while England's 12 sixes is a new record in an ODI encounter at the home of cricket.
The triumph also saw England produce their second-highest winning margin against Australia when batting first in the ODI's, with their 242-run victory at Trent Bridge in 2018 the only game they have won by a larger gap.
Kemar Roach rejoins Surrey for crucial County Championship run-in
Barbados and West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach has rejoined Surrey for the final four matches of the County Championship, bolstering their pace attack as they aim for a third consecutive title.
The 36-year-old, who featured in Surrey's opening six matches of the season and took 18 wickets, has been a key figure in the club’s recent successes. Roach played a significant role in Surrey’s last two title-winning campaigns, and his return comes as a timely boost for the team, who are currently leading Division One by 35 points over second-placed Somerset.
“It’s great to be back at my second home with Surrey, and I’ve kept a close eye on the boys from afar," Roach said in an interview with Surrey's official website. "We know what the goal is, and I’m going to give everything to achieve it."
Roach's experience and skill will be vital as Surrey looks to secure their third consecutive championship. With a remarkable career record of 408 wickets across 82 Tests, 95 ODIs, and 11 T20Is for the West Indies, Roach's presence in the squad adds depth and a wealth of experience.
He will be available for selection for Surrey’s upcoming match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on Thursday, where his contributions will be crucial in maintaining their lead at the top of the table.
Surrey's push for the title has been strengthened by Roach's return, and his impact on the field could be the decisive factor in their quest for another championship triumph.
Smith, Maxwell star to lead Washington Freedom to 96-run win over San Francisco Unicorns in MLC final
Australians Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell played starring roles to help the Washington Freedom dismantle the San Francisco Unicorns by 96 runs at the Grand Prairie Stadium on Sunday to claim their maiden Major League Cricket title.
Unicorns captain Corey Anderson won the toss and put the Freedom in to bat, a decision he was made to regret in the end as Washington piled up 207-5 from their 20 overs.
Captain Smith starred with a 52-ball 88 including seven fours and six sixes while Maxwell made 40 off 22 balls including one four and four sixes against 2-35 off four overs from Pat Cummins.
The Freedom then produced a dominant performance with the ball as well, dismissing the Unicorns for 111 in 16 overs to claim the title.
Tail-ender Carmi le Roux was the highest scorer in the innings with 20* as Rachin Ravindra and Marco Jansen took 3-23 from four overs and 3-28 from four overs, respectively.
Andrew Tye was also excellent with 2-12 from his two overs.
The Freedom are rightfully champions having suffered only one loss all season.
Full Scores:
Washington Freedom 207-5 off 20 overs (Steve Smith 88, Glenn Maxwell 40, Pat Cummins 2-35)
San Francisco Unicorns 111 all out off 16 overs (Carmi ls Roux 20*, Rachin Ravindra 3-23, Marco Jansen 3-28)
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