Sussex lose six catches as Leicestershire dismissed at Hove in 2026

Leicestershire were bowled out for 328 on day one at Hove, while Sussex dropped six catches yet still managed to restrict the visitors.

Match overview at Hove On the opening day of the County Championship Division One clash at Hove, Sussex bowled out Leicestershire for 328 runs. Despite dropping six catches, Sussex failed to capitalize on their mistakes, allowing Leicestershire to post their total. The visitors struggled to build momentum early but recovered through lower-order partnerships. Sussex earned three points while Leicestershire took two. ## Leicestershire's innings and partnerships Leicestershire were put into bat after Sussex won the toss and managed to put together 92 runs for the first wicket. However, they collapsed to 209 for seven before their tailenders staged a recovery. The last three wickets added 119 runs in total, including a crucial 73-run partnership between captain Ian Holland (63) and Tom Scriven (50). The innings included multiple dropped chances that prevented Leicestershire from capitalizing on Sussex's errors. ## Sussex bowlers shine despite dropped catches Off-spinner Jack Carson was the most effective bowler for Sussex, finishing with figures of four wickets for 40 runs. Captain Ollie Robinson also starred with three wickets, bowling in five separate spells for 24.4 overs despite receiving little support. Robinson's efforts came on a pitch offering movement, though he felt his decision to bowl first may have been questionable. His accurate bowling kept Leicestershire in check during key moments. ## Leicestershire's openers dominate early session Leicestershire's openers Rishi Patel and Jake Weatherald batted confidently on a green-top pitch. Patel impressed with stylish back-foot drives, while Weatherald used a range of cuts and flicks to accumulate runs. Weatherald was dropped at fourth slip when on 16, a difficult chance that went down to Sussex fielder Tom Clark. The openers laid a strong foundation before both fell to sharp fielding plays. ## Sussex fielding lapses cost crucial wickets Shortly before lunch, Sussex gained two key breakthroughs through direct hits. Weatherald was run out after calling for a quick single, and later he was caught off a short ball from Carson, both instances involving sharp fielding from Sussex players. After lunch, Sussex's bowling improved but their fielding deteriorated with three consecutive dropped catches. Jonny Tattersall was dropped three times in quick succession despite his good form. ## Tailenders rescue Leicestershire's innings After early setbacks, Leicestershire's middle order struggled against Sussex's improved bowling. Tattersall, who had scored 200 runs in three recent innings, was dropped twice at slip off Henry Crocombe and once at long leg by Dan Ibrahim. Despite these let-offs, Tattersall eventually fell to a caught-and-bowled chance off Fynn Hudson-Prentice. Captain Holland and Steve Eskinazi then added crucial runs before Carson struck twice in three balls to dismiss Ben Cox and Ben Green. ## Final overs and dropped chances continue Holland and Scriven steadied the innings with a 16-over partnership as Leicestershire recovered from their initial collapse. Eskinazi was dropped at mid-off by Carson but was soon dismissed caught at slip by Robinson. The innings concluded with one more dropped chance when Ajaz Patel was missed at slip off Robinson. Leicestershire finished with 328 runs, leaving Sussex trailing by 325 runs after the first day.