Sussex's captain, John Simpson, continued his impressive form with a third century of the season, guiding his team to a commanding position against Leicestershire on the opening day of their Division Two County Championship match at Hove.
Simpson, who has now scored over 500 runs in the competition, came to the crease with Sussex struggling at 34 for 3. However, he played a chanceless innings, hitting 29 fours from 251 deliveries to finish unbeaten on 180.
Oli Carter also played a crucial role for Sussex, scoring 96 in an opening partnership of 156 with Simpson. Carter's innings included 15 fours and a six, and he was unlucky to miss out on a century when he was caught and bowled by Scott Currie.
Leicestershire had won the toss and elected to field, but they were unable to make early inroads into the Sussex batting. Tom Haines was dropped on 0 by Currie, but Holland made amends by dismissing Haines and Tom Alsop in quick succession.
James Coles was the third Sussex wicket to fall, but Simpson and Carter then took control of the innings. They put on 156 for the fourth wicket, and Sussex went on to score 197 runs in the afternoon session.
Carter was eventually dismissed for 96, but Fynn Hudson-Prentice (26) and Jack Carson (25) made useful contributions. Nathan McAndrew finished unbeaten on 51 as Sussex closed on 431 for 7.
Leicestershire's bowlers struggled throughout the day, with Holland the only one to take multiple wickets. The Foxes will need to improve their performance on day two if they are to have any chance of getting back into the match.
Tags: #Sussex, #Leicestershire, #CountyChampionship, #JohnSimpson, #OliCarter
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