Rothesay County Championship, Division One, Edgbaston, Birmingham (day two)

Sussex: 156: Haines 49; Woakes 4-36, Booth 3-9 & 84-3: Haines 32*; Booth 2-22

Warwickshire 161: Booth 34*; Hunt 4-30, Crocombe 3-60

Sussex (3 pts) lead Warwickshire (3 pts) by 79 runs with seven second-innings wickets standing

Match scorecard

Warwickshire duo Michael Booth and Chris Woakes and Sussex’s Sean Hunt led a collective display of top-drawer seam-bowling as the two County Championship title-chasers slugged out day two at Edgbaston.

In the morning, Sussex collapsed to 156 all out, losing their last seven wickets for 44 runs against an attack led by Woakes (4-36) and Booth (3-9).

Warwickshire then fared little better, bowled out for 161.

Only tail-end resistance featuring Booth (34 not out) helped earn the Bears a five-run lead as they repaired the damage caused by Hunt (4-30) and Henry Crocombe (3-60).

Sussex then closed on 84-3, with skipper Tom Haines 32 not out overnight and the match perfectly poised.

Resuming on 99-3, Sussex found Woakes almost unplayable as they lost five wickets for three runs in 17 balls.

The former England hero trapped James Coles lbw and had Charlie Tear and Fynn Hudson-Prentice caught in the slips.

Sussex found no respite at the other end as Ethan Bamber had John Simpson caught at first slip and then knocked out Jack Carson’s off-stump.

Crocombe was then caught behind off Olly Hannon-Dalby, who was heaved for two sixes by last man Jaydev Unadkat before Hunt edged Booth behind.

In reply, Warwickshire soon lost Zen Malik, lbw to Hudson-Prentice, then advanced to 65-1 before Sussex hit back spectacularly with six wickets in 11 overs.

Crocombe took the first two – Dan Mousley, who top-edged a pull, and Will Young, caught at second slip.

Hunt then blasted out the next four, following the big wickets of Rob Yates and Ed Barnard, both caught by behind by removing Alex Davies and Woakes with successive balls.

When Vansh Jani went at 102-8, Warwickshire’s tail wagged against an attack deprived of the injured Hudson-Prentice, who has been replaced in the match by Danial Ibrahim.

Booth added 37 with Bamber, who lifted Crocombe to long-leg, then helped Hannon-Dalby eke out 22 more to take their side in front.

In 23 overs before the close, Sussex lost Daniel Hughes, lbw to Bamber, to the first ball. And Booth was not finished as .Clark nicked behind and Charlie Tear pulled to mid-wicket.

Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.