Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. George Hill celebrates dismissing Sussex’s James Coles for 47. He struck twice today.
George Hill admitted that Yorkshire weren’t good enough for long enough with the ball today as Sussex gained the early initiative thanks to a close of play 373-6, fashioned by unbeaten centurion John Simpson and fifty-makers Ollie Price and Tom Haines.
Wicketkeeper-batter Simpson top-scored with 103 not out, all-rounder Price next best with 93 and opener Haines with 64.
Simpson and Price shared a sixth-wicket 165 either side of tea from 150-5.
Hill returned 2-58 from 19 overs of seam added to a wicket for off-spinner Dom Bess and 3-42 from 18 overs from the excellent Jack White, who Hill praised.
He said: “It was a tough day. We thought the wicket would offer a bit more than it did. It turned out to be quite slow.
“I’m not sure we got it right through the entirety of the day. We were good in phases but let it slip at crucial times.
“I was reasonably happy (own performance). I did a bit of work with Mick Lewis (bowling coach) because I didn’t feel I bowled very well at all in the first two games. I had a week off and worked on trying to hit the wicket a bit harder rather than being floaty.
“Jack’s just very impressive. He’s a metronome. We don’t realise how lucky we are having him.
“You look up and he’s going at 1.5 per over, and when he goes at twos it’s expensive for him. Up the hill all the day. He’s been brilliant since he’s joined us.
“When we had them 150-5, we thought a couple more wickets after that would definitely see us batting this evening. But it didn’t go that way. Simpson and Price played well to be fair to them.
“There were just too many four balls and freebies, and they made us pay in the sun.”
And on the White Rose plan to get back into the game tomorrow and beyond, Hill added: “If you look at the way they played on that wicket, they were playing drives on the up very early on. That shows to me it’s a pretty good batting surface, and the batting we’ve got is extremely good.
“If we can clean up tomorrow morning, put a heavy roller on it even more and kill it, I’d back our batters to do the business when it’s our turn to bat.”
