Yorkshire 216 for 7 (Bean 49, Carson 3-34) trail Sussex 361 (Alsop 95, Carter 64, Coad 5-54) by 145 runs
In the commentary box during the afternoon session on day two of this match in Hove, discussion turned to popular music.
Matthew Revis, an unused member of the Yorkshire squad taking a turn on the livestream, was asked about his preferences, and he put forward Pulp as his favourite band - an appropriate choice, you might think, given their Sheffield roots.
Then again Revis, who grew up nearer to Bradford, may not set much store by where Jarvis Cocker and the gang come from, given he confessed to only really liking "one or two of their songs". Few would argue, though, that "Common People" and "Disco 2000" - both released in the decade before 21-year-old Revis was born - aren't a couple of proper bangers, and it might be heartening for some to hear that things held dear by previous generations still have the capacity to captivate the youth of today.
Can you see where this is going yet?
Others will perhaps argue that Championship cricket sells itself pretty well in the circumstances and by the end of the day it was Sussex who were channelling Britpop exuberance as late wickets put them well on top. For much of Friday, the words of another Sheffield troubadour, Alex Turner, seemed to sum up the occasion: "Now it's getting dark, and the sky looks sticky, more like black treacle than tar." Drizzle rather than treacle cut more than an hour out of the morning session and ominous-looking clouds continued to scud through for much of the afternoon.
In fact, various weather apps and websites declared that it was actually still raining as the players took the field shortly after midday, but any passing squalls thereafter skirted the ground and, with the floodlights blazing into the evening, 82.3 overs of play were possible.
Despite the distractions, Sussex produced another fine ensemble effort, though a patchy forecast for the weekend could yet prevent them from throwing shapes.
Ottis Gibson braved the elements to watch from behind the bowler's arm at the Sea End as Yorkshire made a solid start to their reply, reaching 52 for 0 and 136 for 2 - but with
Jack Carson taking three wickets, to go with lower-order runs and a spectacular catch, they finished the day seven-down and facing a scrap to avoid starting the season with a second defeat in three.
If anyone in Sussex's young squad can provide the rock'n'roll stylings it is arguably
Ollie Robinson, who was making his first outing of the season after being rested on ECB instruction in the opening round. Robinson declared confidently during pre-season that
England would "stick one on" Australia during the Ashes later this summer, and looked primed to be the frontman here as the hosts attempted to capitalise on the nibbly conditions after posting a useful first-innings score of 361.
He should have had a wicket in his first over, when
Finlay Bean tickled an edge straight into the midriff of Ali Orr at leg slip - only for the chance to go down. Bean survived in similar fashion in Robinson's next, though Orr could be forgiven for only getting a hand to the ball as he threw himself to his right. Robinson has learned to channel his frustrations but the younger version may have wanted to respond by hurling a TV set out of a hotel window.
In his second spell, Robinson suffered the indignity of being taken for three successive fours by
Dawid Malan, and figures of 9-2-41-0 suggested he was still some way from being at concert pitch. But there was still time during a lengthy evening session for Robinson to return and nip one through the defences of George Hill, bringing a little strut to proceedings - and Sussex's mood became more buoyant still as Henry Crocombe added another late wicket thanks to Dom Bess' impetuous hook, before a low-bouncing delivery from Carson accounted for Shai Hope.
The initial breakthrough had been provided by
Nathan McAndrew, who trapped Adam Lyth in front with the opener looking to leave; Saud Shakeel, the Pakistan batter making his debut, also fell without playing a shot shortly after tea as Crocombe brought a fine delivery back to hit the top of off. Bean, who could have been caught for a third time by Orr when flapping at a Crocombe bouncer on 31, was eventually dismissed one shy of his fifty when Carson found his outside edge and the offspinner had a second when Malan chopped on.
Sussex might have built a more impregnable position for themselves but for a lower-order collapse of 4 for 25 against the second new ball.
Ben Coad made up for an indifferent showing first time around but striking with his first delivery, ending a valuable sixth-wicket stand between Oli Carter and Fynn Hudson-Prentice, and he knocked over two more in quick succession to improve Yorkshire's mood.
Matthew Fisher was certainly less than gruntled at being repeatedly coshed through the covers by McAndrew, but he had the final word when inducing a tickle through to the keeper. Coad then had Carter taken at second slip for a nuggety, three-hour 64, before removing Robinson via another catch in the cordon later in the same over. However, Carson and Crocombe clawed back some ground with a sensibly compiled 57-run stand that was eventually ended by Coad - whose figures of 7.3-3-16-4 on day two earned him the tenth five-for of his first-class career.
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