For most of this match it has been the Yorkshire bowlers under the spotlight for their poor performance.
On day three in Hove, however, it was the Tykes’ frontline batsmen who failed to perform as Sussex moved closer to victory in division one of the LV= County Championship.
A total of 12 wickets fell yesterday to leave Yorkshire on 29-2 in their second innings, still 246 runs away from making their hosts bat again.
The writing was on the wall early on at the County Ground, as the white rose resumed on 17-0 in reply to Sussex’s first innings total of 548-4 declared.
Three wickets fell in the opening 28 balls to blow their top order away.
Joe Sayers was the first to go for six, as he was ousted by Amjad Khan with only the second delivery of the morning, before Anthony McGrath and captain Andrew Gale followed him back to the pavilion soon after.
Both played-on, for four and nought respectively, as Yorkshire were reduced to 33-3.
It meant the follow-on target of 399 was already looking distant, and when York-based Jonny Bairstow (28) and Gary Ballance (25) were then removed before lunch it was clear the Tykes were in for another long day.
Only opener Joe Root had provided the sort of resistance that was needed and he continued his one-man defiance into the afternoon session.
The 20-year-old played with real maturity, as the wickets continued to tumble around him, until a superb in-swinging yorker from debutant Wayne Parnell eventually removed him for 70.
Ryan Sidebottom then played a loose shot to give the fast-bowler a second victim in the over – leaving the Tykes on 198-8.
The collapse had suddenly opened up the possibility that Yorkshire might not pick up a single bonus point from the match, but in Ajmal Shahzad and Steve Patterson they did at least find some late resistance.
Together they added 75 runs for the ninth wicket, to pass the 200 and 250 mark, as Yorkshire at least salvaged two points from this contest.
However, Shahzad, who was earlier overlooked by England for the second Test against Sri Lanka, was then caught sweeping off Monty Panesar for 32 to break the useful partnership, before Patterson followed in the next over for a career-best 53 as the innings came to a rapid conclusion.
It left Yorkshire staring at a 275-run first-innings deficit on 273 all out – with their damaging day far from complete as Sussex captain Michael Yardy decided to enforce the follow-on.
Only 14 balls had been bowled before the home side were celebrating their first breakthrough.
For the second time it was Sayers who again fell early, as the opener went for a duck when he presented Ed Joyce with a simple catch at second slip off Parnell.
His wicket left Yorkshire on 9-1 – before their misery was then completed as Root was given out lbw with the final ball of the day for 20.
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