Specsavers CC Sussex v Leics, Hove May 1-4

So much Sussex taking this division by storm. I don't want to worry anyone but from memory for the past two seasons we started well then rapidly deteriorated!

Ah, but the plan this year is to start badly and finish well. So far so good with the plan, you might say.

Well, what will it be 96 overs of stout resilience or, once one wicket goes down, a procession commences?

At the risk of stating the obvious, I desperately hope Nash and Joyce come back together for lunch. Otherwise, I think we will struggle.

You can say that again!
Joyce back in the shed, 9 to go.

Better news from the 2's as Finch gets another ton. Knocking hard on the door now. 

All praise to Nash, above anyone else for saving this match. Since giving up the vice-captaincy and working on his batting during the winter he has run into a fine vein of form allied to a considerable toughness, whilst still showing plenty of the handsome shots and flair for opportunity of old. Last year's experiment of batting him at 4 or 5 should now be completely disregarded, and for as long as Joyce remains with Sussex they are the natural opening pair.

That just leaves the question of the middle order and while the return of Wright is impatiently awaited there are still some questions about who should join him there. Certainly this match has shown without doubt that there must be 6 batsmen higher than Ben Brown and he clearly needs time to breathe and to find his batting of the last couple of years. Machan's dash seems unabated, but if it doesn't come off immediately he is always giving a chance to the opposition to add a further quick wicket within minutes of breaking the first wicket partnership. Taylor's figures make very odd reading for a man with 13 Test hundreds and a first-class average in the middle 40s. In the 18 months since November 2014 he has now played 18 first class matches, 12 of them Tests, and scored 1088 runs at 38.86. That does include his huge innings of 290 against Australia last autumn, but in all that time he has only scored 1 further 100 and 3 50s, including today's innings. There are quite a few 20s and 30s in that sequence, and some single figure scores as well. I hope that we haven't signed a player on the downside of his career.

Otherwise, and assuming Wells keeps his place now as an all-rounder, there must be a slot for Finch or Hudson-Prentice - and Finch has the prior claim - to show what they can do to add solidity, and once Wright is back there should be a competition for top 6 batting places. As for the bowling it looks as if Wells has shot ahead of Briggs and also done as much as anyone could expect Beer to do. Garton, Magoffin and Shahzad all had their moments yesterday and Robinson will come again. It isn't a sharp-toothed attack but with a few runs to bowl at it ought to deliver as often as not. Not a promotion chasing side, but maybe one that realises the urgent need to rebuild and remake itself – on and off the field.

Delighted that Sussex gained the draw. They got stuck in and managed to dig themselves out of their abject hole of the first innings. Nash has been a revelation since returning from the Gary Kirsten Academy in South Africa. Pity this hasn't rubbed off on his Academy partner Ben Brown.

Could this be the turning point for the Club? Losing against Leicestershire at home would have been dire and shot their already vulnerable mental state to shreds. Hopefully, the side can gain confidence from this draw and build on the metal shown today.

Amusingly, Dave Fulton of SKY Sports News appeared in the Media Centre today due to the Leicester theme the TV channel are presently running with. Winners of the Premiership, the snooker and, hopefully for them, against Sussex today. Coach Andrew McDonald being touted as the ginger variant of Claudio Ranieri. A mobile call from Fulton's SKY editor and the question, "Will Leicestershire beat Sussex?" with the rather bleated reply, "Looks, like it's heading for a draw," ended with a no show on the late afternoon news slot.

Thank God for that.  

Pretty much agree with all of this. Taylor, although undoubtably a quality player, is not really what needed. An overseas all rounder should have been the priority, and hopefully this will be remedied in the second half of the season. Only when we balance the side, can we become serious promotion challengers