COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Arundel:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Gloucestershire 307, Sussex 314-6
Sussex 6 pts, Gloucestershire 5 pts
Match scorecard

Martin-Jenkins is enjoying a highly productive last season in county cricket

Robin Martin-Jenkins made a determined attempt to bow out of first-class cricket in style as he ended the second day at Arundel within 27 of a century.

In his last County Championship game before he retires, the Sussex all-rounder hit 73 not out to help his side into a first innings lead on 314-6.

After Chris Nash (49), Murray Goodwin (44) and Ed Joyce (43) all got starts, only Martin-Jenkins got to his 50.

Gloucestershire, having started the day on 286-9, were bowled out for 307.

But they stayed in contention thanks to some probing left-arm spin from Vikram Banerjee on a pitch offering increasing turn.

Banerjee took 4-84, while seamer Gemaal Hussain continued his excellent form with two more wickets to take his tally to 41 for the season.

606: DEBATE RMJ, absolute hero. Are we going to miss him! Mightiest Martlet

Sussex were still 105 behind when Martin-Jenkins came in on 202-5, but he played with the freedom of someone under absolutely no pressure.

He soon overtook his partner Joe Gatting with a succession of flowing front-foot strokes as 55 runs were added for the sixth wicket in 14 overs.

Gatting has endured a wretched summer, with just 100 Championship runs in five games, but seemed to have found some form as he moved to a season's best 25 before being too late on a defensive push to become Banerjee's second leg-before victim.

But Martin-Jenkins pressed, negotiating the second new ball in an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 57 with Yasir Arafat and has so far struck 12 fours in 108 balls.

Earlier, Gloucestershire's last-wicket pair added a further 21 runs to secure a third batting bonus point before last man Steve Kirby feathered a catch off Arafat, who finished with a season's best 3-55.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version