County Championship round-up: Chawla takes five to evoke memories of Mushtaq
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Your support makes all the difference.Sussex's back-to-back County Championship victories in 2006 and 2007 were built around the wiles of the spinner Mushtaq Ahmed and their inability to defend their title last summer could be partly explained by the Pakistani's injury problems. This season, they may have unearthed another magical spinner to fill his boots.
Piyush Chawla, an Indian leg-spinner, who took eight wickets and scored his maiden first-class hundred in Sussex's win over Worcestershire on Sunday, enjoyed another excellent day for his new county at Hove yesterday. Chawla took 5 for 95 from 33 overs bowling unchanged from the sea end as Somerset subsided from a promising 138 for 0 to close on 314 for 9 despite an impressive hundred from Marcus Trescothick.
Somerset had made serene progress after winning the toss during the morning session as Trescothick and Arul Suppiah took advantage of superb batting conditions to post their opening stand on a slow, dry pitch. But Chawla struck with the first and last deliveries of the 47th over to change the complexion of the day. Suppiah was leg before playing back to a googly and James Hildreth was defeated by a top spinner which bowled him between bat and pad.
Trescothick has made a half-century in every Championship game this season but this was only the second time he has converted it to a hundred. The sluggish nature of the pitch made it difficult for him to time his attacking strokes but he looked in the mood for a big score when he was run out for 109. Taking on Jason Lewry's arm at mid-on, he was comfortably beaten.
Chawla then struck twice after tea to put Sussex in control. Justin Langer was leg before sweeping, although he felt he had hit the ball, and Craig Kieswetter was superbly taken by England wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who had a good day behind the stumps, off a thin outside edge.
Durham showed the spirit that helped them win last year's title as they fought back against Warwickshire after Chris Woakes, who has caught the eye of the England selectors, took early wickets for the home side at Edgbaston. Woakes, 20, took 3 for 70 and the first three wickets as the champions were reduced to 120 for 4. However, an unbeaten 107 from Ian Blackwell and 48 for Gareth Breese helped Durham, who could go top with victory, reach stumps at 322 for 6.
Worcestershire made a promising start in their game with Yorkshire at New Road. The home team's batting was solid as Daryl Mitchell (68), Stephen Moore (60), Moeen Ali (55) and Steve Davies (75no) all contributed to a total at close of play of 319 for 5.
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