GARETH Berg took a wicket with his first LV County Championship delivery for Hampshire before Sussex fought back on a compelling first day of the season.

Hampshire dominated the first hour at The Ageas Bowl, reducing Sussex to 22-3 with Berg taking two wickets in his first seven balls.

But after Sussex slipped to 128-5, having won the toss, former England man Luke Wright struck 96 during a stand of 146 with Ben Brown before the visitors closed on 300-6.

Berg was playing his first Championship match for a year, a freak infection having exacerbated a shoulder injury, prompting Middlesex to cancel his contract.

The 34 year-old soon showed what he is capable of. Relishing a more attacking role than he had with Middlesex, he began an outstanding debut spell (6-3-6-2) by beating Sussex opener Chris Nash all ends up with an unplayable off-cutter from the Pavilion End, after Sean Ervine had taken the new ball for the first time in several years.

He is the first Hampshire player in living memory to take a wicket with his first Championship delivery for Hampshire.

And he made it two in seven balls when he angled the ball across the bows of former England left-hander Mike Yardy (6), who was well caught by a diving Adam Wheater.

After finishing with 2-47 from 17 overs, he said: “If a couple of decisions had one our way we’d have had them eight down - I thought I had Cachopa stone dead [and Luke Wright survived a strong lbw appeal from Briggs] - but we can’t be too disappointed.

“I was very relaxed in pre-season but there were definitely nerves waiting for my chance to bowl.

“That first ball calmed everything down nicely. I was hoping to catch the edge but it came back a long way.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better start.  It’s always nice to see the back of those two, they can be quite disruptive as a pair.”

 

 

Despite the absence of injured seamers Jackson Bird and Andre Adams, Hampshire left out 18 year-old Brad Wheal, preferring the extra spin option and experience of Danny Briggs with the weather forecast so good for the next few days.

Briggs removed Sussex captain Ed Joyce (42) with a beauty, finding turn and bounce that was too sharp for Joyce, who failed to withdraw his bat in time and was caught at slip.

One of three left-handers in the visitors’ top four, Joyce added 70 with Craig Cachopa, who pulled Tomlinson for six on his way to 41.

When left-armer Chris Wood removed Cachopa, who was well caught in the gully by Will Smith, in the second over of his second spell, Sussex were 128-5.

Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams left the field as a precaution after tea, having clattered into advertising boards in trying to prevent a boundary.

And former England man Wright (96) capitalised against an attack missing his former Melbourne Stars teammate Bird before nicking an attempted drive against Tomlinson (2-67) to second slip in the fourth over with the second new ball.