Carson spins Sussex to win over Hampshire
Rothesay County Championship Division One, Utilita Bowl (day three)
Hampshire 154 & 165: Dawson 48, Middleton 32; Carson 5-26
Sussex 297: Simpson 106*, Hudson-Prentice 74; Turner 3-54 & 23-1
Sussex (20 pts) beat Hampshire (3 pts) by nine wickets
Match scorecard
Jack Carson's five-wicket haul wrapped up a simple three-day victory for Sussex as they won on the road for the first time in the County Championship this season.
Off spinner Carson found turn, bounce and a bagful of Hampshire wickets as he ripped through three of the four remaining batters to pick up 5-26 – his best of the campaign.
Hampshire were bowled out for 165, and despite Oli Carter falling, Tom Haines and Tom Alsop easily knocked off the 23 runs needed to take them past the winning line before lunch.
Sussex's third win of their return to Division One came with 20 points, to keep tabs on the leading title contenders.
Hampshire began the day trailing by 29 runs, they had only whittled that down to 15 before Brad Wheal turned Carson around the corner to leg slip.
There was a mini-flash point when James Fuller and bowler Nathan McAndrew collided during a single. Liam Dawson was not impressed, although the umpires calmed things quickly.
Dawson took the hosts into a slender lead, his two accompanied by a huge cheer, but just 10 runs later he tried to ride Carson's turn, but tickled behind to John Simpson.
Dawson had been the main hope for Hampshire to test Sussex, but his exit for 48 saw Kyle Abbott edge to slip three balls later.
Henry Crocombe put Hampshire out of their misery when John Turner prodded a short ball to short leg.
Dawson managed to get Carter's edge but it was a rare moment of joy as Sussex ticked off the runs in under 15 minutes.
It was a particularly revered victory for the visitors, with strike bowler Ollie Robinson rested with an ankle injury and overseas opener Daniel Hughes absent awaiting the birth of his first child.
Captain John Simpson had noted his side had "punched above expectation" so far this season. They leapfrogged Hampshire with the win, and also kept in touching distance of the title pacesetters.
Simpson's third century of the season, in a 173-run stand with Fynn Hudson-Prentice, was the difference in the match, while Crocombe's first appearance of the season was a huge success – four explosive wickets in the first innings were followed by a tidy 2-44 in the second.
For Hampshire, it was their first home defeat in the Championship since July 2023, with this only their fourth loss at Utilita Bowl since April 2019.
Although this fixture was the first between the two south coast counties in a decade, Sussex have still only lost once on this ground in 10 red ball outings – 20 years ago.
Hampshire have endured a rollercoaster trio of matches heading into the T20 Blast portion of the season.
A dismal performance against Nottinghamshire was followed by a sensational victory at Edgbaston, which reignited excitement of a potential title charge, only for a seven session mauling.
Their six batting bonus points in the first block is only better than bottom-side Worcestershire, with only Ben Brown of the regulars to average over 40. Only he and Nick Gubbins have recorded centuries.
They did not get a batting point in this match, and only took three points from a dire week.
ECB Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay
Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Albion player of the year retires from internationals - after 77 England caps
Albion star Fran Kirby has retired from international football. She steps down after being told she would not be picked by England for the Euros this summer. Kirby has 77 caps for the Lionesses and was a deserving winner of the Seagulls' player of the year award for the 2024-25 season. Advertisement She has been on international duty for pre-Euros warm-up fixtures and went on as sub in the win at home to Portugal at Wembley on Friday. Kirby told the BBC: "It is something I have been thinking about for over a year. I knew this was going to be my last major tournament. "The plan was to retire after the Euros but after speaking to Sarina I'm not going to make the squad. "It was like a dagger to my heart but also a weight off my shoulders all at the same time. It was emotional for both of us but we both respected what each person was saying." Kirby was injured on international duty last season, which ruled her out of club action for several weeks. Advertisement She was badly missed over that period but returned for the run-in as Albion finished a club record fifth in the WSL. The former Chelsea star was praised by Seagulls head coach Dario Vidosic for a positive and professional attitude which got her back ahead of schedule.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Wiegman optimistic Lauren James will be fit for Lionesses' squad at Euro 2025
Sarina Wiegman spoke positively about Lauren James' chances of being fit enough to play at this summer's European Championship, as she prepares to name her final squad of 23 players for the tournament on Thursday. The Chelsea forward has been sidelined since sustaining a hamstring injury in April during a victory for England at home to Belgium at Ashton Gate, and her involvement in July's Euros in Switzerland has been in doubt, but on Tuesday night Wiegman appeared more than optimistic. Advertisement Related: Clàudia Pina's double for Spain means England miss out on Nations League finals 'With LJ [James], she is of course on the pitch [training], she is still in the position that we expect her to be, so she's progressing in the rehab and that's going really well, so I'm positive about that.' Wiegman also offered an encouraging update on the return to full fitness of England's Bayern Munich midfielder Georgia Stanway, who made her first start in 2025 after recovering from a knee injury when she was in the starting lineup for Tuesday's 2-1 loss against Spain. Stanway was withdrawn at half-time but Wiegman clarified that the 26-year-old had not suffered a setback, saying: On Stanway: 'No [she does not have an injury], she's in a very good place. 'But she hasn't played for such a long time – Friday's were her first minutes after she'd been training, of course. She could play [only for] 45 minutes. I think she wanted to play more, of course, she always wants to play more, she's in such a good place, but I think this was very smart [to substitute her] to take care of her.' Advertisement Wiegman also paid tribute to Fran Kirby, after the Brighton forward's sudden announcement of her retirement, adding: 'First of all I love working with her [Kirby]. She has had an incredible career and it is still going on in the WSL. She's an amazing player and an incredible person too. 'She did everything to make the squad. Fran and I have had several conversations. I had conversations with her over this week again, looking forward to this game and I said to her that she most likely would not make the squad, even though things could change quickly. We had these honest conversations.'
Forbes
7 hours ago
- Forbes
Coco Gauff And Madison Keys Battle For Semifinal Spot And HOF Legacy
US player Madison Keys (L) is congratulated by US player Coco Gauff after their women's singles ... More semi-final tennis match at the Rothesay Eastbourne International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, southern England, on June 30, 2023. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images) When Coco Gauff and Madison Keys meet in the quarterfinal of the 2025 French Open, more than a place in the semifinal is on the line. A win puts Keys or Gauff one step closer to separating themselves from a crowded field of one-Slam wonders, players on the WTA Tour who have won one Major title. Keys leads the head-to-head against Gauff, 3-2 and won their only meeting on clay (2024 Madrid Open). Gauff is playing in her fifth consecutive French Open quarterfinal. Keys will be in the quarterfinal at Roland-Garros for the first time in six years. The victor will play the winner of the Mirra Andreeva vs. Lois Boisson quarterfinal match. Winning one Major title is a career-defining accomplishment. Many players with long, successful careers never achieve this. But winning two Grand Slam titles puts a player in another category and all but guarantees induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In January 2024, after Aryna Sabalenka won her second Major, she spoke with the WTA about what it meant to no longer be a one-Slam wonder. "It's very sad that people call "one Grand Slam champions" that way. And of course, it was in my head, I didn't want to be a one-time Grand Slam champion," Sabalenka said. "I'm super happy that I was able to win two Grand Slams. And I really hope that I can keep building my tennis, keep getting better, and then hopefully keep winning." Currently, ten active players have one Major title: Gauff, Keys, Emma Raducanu, Sofia Kenin, Marketa Vondrousova, Jelena Ostapenko, Bianco Andreescu, Elena Rybakina, Caroline Wozniacki, and Sloane Stephens. Last year, Barbora Krejcikova emerged from the one-Slam wonder ranks when she defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to claim her first Wimbledon title. During her Wimbledon press conference, Krejcikova said winning a second Major didn't change how she felt about her career. "No, I still feel the same. I mean, it's great that I'm a two-time major champion. It's something unbelievable," Krejcikova said. Krejcikova might not feel differently, but when she won Wimbledon, she stepped over the demarcation, separating one-Slam wonders from future Hall of Famers. NEWPORT, RI - JULY 22: Tennis Hall of Fame inductees Kim Clijsters of Belgium and Andy Roddick of ... More the United States pose for a photo following the enshrinement ceremonies at the International Tennis Hall of Fame on July 22, 2017 in Newport, Rhode Island. (Photo byfor the International Tennis Hall of Fame) There are few one-Slam wonders in the tennis HOF. Michael Chang won the 1989 French Open and reached the Australian Open and U.S. Open finals. Andy Roddick won the 2003 U.S. Open and reached the final at Wimbledon three times in the Roger Federer era. Roddick was also the No. 1 player. Gabriela Sabatini, who won the 1990 U.S. Open. However, she reached the final twice and the semifinals or better at 11 Grand Slam tournaments, often losing to Steffi Graf or Monica Seles. Chang, Roddick, and Sabatini are in the Tennis Hall of Fame. Even with a No. 1 ranking, like Wozniacki and Roddick, or sustainable success like Sabatini, a player with one Major title sits on the Hall of Fame bubble. Anna Ivanovic won the 2008 French Open, reached the final of the 2008 Australian Open, and held the No. 1 ranking. But although nominated twice, Ivanovic has yet to be voted into the Hall of Fame. Neither Gauff nor Keys has held the No. 1 ranking, so a second Major title is essential for Hall of Fame credentials. NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 09: Sloane Stephens of the United States embraces Madison Keys of the ... More United States after Stephens won the Women's Singles final match on Day Thirteen during the 2017 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 9, 2017 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo byfor USTA) Gauff and Keys traveled similar paths to their first Grand Slam title. They were both teen phenoms with high expectations. Born in Illinois, Keys moved to Florida with her family when she was ten to attend the Evert Tennis Academy. Gauff was born in Atlanta, but her parents moved to Delray Beach, Florida, to support their daughter's tennis training. Gauff trained at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France when she was ten. In her first Grand Slam final, the 2017 US Open, Keys lost in humiliating fashion to friend and fellow American Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-0. Keys had 30 unforced errors, appeared overwhelmed, and wept after her defeat. Gauff played poorly in her first Grand Slam final, the 2022 French Open. Iga Swiatek defeated Gauff 6-2, 6-4. Gauff committed 39 unforced errors. After the match, like Keys, Gauff sobbed. However, Guaff and Keys have contrasting playing styles. Keys brings the power with a big serve and massive forehand. Although she said she likes playing on clay, Keys is less comfortable on the surface than Gauff, who won the 2018 French Open juniors title. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 25: Madison Keys of the United States makes the winner's speech ... More holding the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup at the Women's Singles Trophy Presentation following the Women's Singles Final against Aryna Sabalenka during day 14 of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 25, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by) Keys captured her first Slam title by defeating two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka. In Keys' post-match press conference after winning the Australian Open, she told reporters she had to recalibrate expectations. "I felt like from a pretty young age, I felt like if I never won a Grand Slam, then I wouldn't have lived up to what people thought I should have been. That was a pretty heavy burden to kind of carry around," Keys said. "I finally got to the point where I was okay if it didn't happen. I didn't need it to feel like I had a good career or that I deserved to be talked about as a great tennis player." Queens, N.Y.: Coco Gauff holding her trophy after defeating Aryna Sabalenka to win her first grand ... More slam in the the Women's Singles US Open Tennis Championships at Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadow, Queens, New York on Sept. 9, 2023 (Photo by J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images) Gauff also defeated Sabalenka to win her first Grand Slam title, the 2023 U.S. Open. Gauff's win trounced the men's final in television viewership. But losing in the 2023 French Open was a wake-up call for Gauff. "Honestly, I feel like probably this French Open is honestly where it changed. Because I felt pressure to back up the final, and I obviously didn't. So I was, like, Okay, well, I've got to reset," said Gauff in a press conference following her U.S. Open win. "Then Wimbledon happened, and that was a tough, tough loss, because I thought I was playing good tennis leading up to that. " That was when Gauff made a coaching change. She hired tennis commentator and coach Brad Gilbert. She went on a tear in the hard-court season, winning. This year, at Roland-Garros, with four-time French Open champion Swiatek and No. 1 ranked Sabalenka on the opposite side of the draw, Keys and Gauff have a good opportunity to make the final. Last month, before the Italian Open, Keys spoke with reporters about how wide open tournaments are in the post-Serena Williams era. EASTBOURNE, ENGLAND - JUNE 30: Madison Keys of the United States shakes hands at the net after ... More winning her semi final match against Coco Gauff of the United States on Day Seven of the Rothesay International Eastbourne at Devonshire Park on June 30, 2023 in Eastbourne, England. (Photo by) 'I think part of it is because we've kind of lost some of our legends obviously. Like there's no longer Serena Williams in every draw where you just assume she's going to win,' Keys said. Gauff and Keys are three match wins from solidifying their legacy as a future Hall of Famer. Even reaching two Grand Slam finals separates them from fluke one-hit wonders. However, winning that second title erases all doubt and ends the one-Slam wonder slander.
