Sussex star James Coles has been named Rothesay County Championship Player of the Round after a masterful unbeaten maiden Championship double-century helped his side to a crushing victory over Glamorgan at Hove.
Coles scored 224 not out from 226 balls, hitting 22 fours and 11 sixes, as Sussex replied to Glamorgan鈥檚 first-innings 155 with 521. He then took 3-34 with his left-arm spin to see Glamorgan bowled out for 268 and Sussex come out as victors by an innings and 98 runs.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty incredible, I didn鈥檛 think I was going to do that anytime soon,鈥� Coles told ecb.co.uk about passing the 200 mark in first-class cricket for the first time. 鈥淚t was a pretty special day.鈥�
Going into the match, Coles had scored an unbeaten 63 for England Lions against South Africa A, a knock that stood him in good stead as he returned to four-day cricket.
鈥淭hat Lions game helped because I did well against some seriously good bowlers. It gave me a bit of confidence. Netting before as well, I was feeling like I was in a good place.
鈥淢y main mindset going in after watching Glamorgan鈥檚 first innings was that the pitch was doing a fair amount, so I was conscious about making sure I left well. It鈥檚 probably the best I鈥檝e left all season. I was pretty disciplined outside off, which I probably haven鈥檛 been for most of the season this year.鈥�
On accelerating through the innings, he said: 鈥淏atting with the tail, you get a bit of a licence. That鈥檚 where I caught up a bit towards the end. I鈥檇 scored a double-ton once at school, but that鈥檚 a bit different!
鈥淚t didn鈥檛 actually cross my mind. The moment of realisation was when I took a single on 198 and took one off the third ball of an over and left Jaydev [Unadkat] with three balls. Prior to that, I鈥檇 only been leaving him with two balls. I thought 鈥榠f I鈥檝e left myself stranded here because he gets out because I鈥檝e left him an extra ball, I鈥檓 going to be seething!鈥�
鈥淏efore that, there wasn鈥檛 a lot of thought going into it. I reckon I was only on 130 when Jaydev walked out. I didn鈥檛 think 200 was really on the cards, but he played very well.鈥�
Sussex now sit second in the Division One table, just one point behind leaders Essex despite starting the season with a 12-point deduction due to the club鈥檚 financial problems.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just rolling with it at the minute, but I think this game has given the boys a lot of confidence,鈥� Coles said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got a really nice balance to our team 鈥� two spinners and our seamers all have a bit of variety and are all bowling well.
鈥淭hat third innings was the best bowling performance I鈥檝e seen from us. We completely controlled the game. They batted well but then we got them in a cluster. That basically sums up four-day cricket and how you鈥檙e meant to play it.
鈥淚t was a pretty special game for us. Obviously, there鈥檚 a lot of cricket still to be played, but fingers crossed.鈥�
Coles received the maximum of three votes for his brilliant innings. Durham鈥檚 Matthew Potts also received three votes and has gone top of the leaderboard after his 10-wicket match haul against Derbyshire, including second-innings figures of 8-66.
Dan Lawrence of Surrey was awarded three votes for his incredible batting in Surrey鈥檚 draw with Hampshire that saw him score 218 and 101, while 18-year-old Thomas Rew received three votes for his 68 and 127 not out, his maiden first-class ton, in Somerset鈥檚 crushing win over champions Nottinghamshire.
There were also three votes for Yorkshire鈥檚 Will Luxton, who also hit his first first-class century, 167, in Yorkshire鈥檚 draw with Warwickshire, and three votes for England鈥檚 Jordan Cox who returned to Championship action with 204 in Essex鈥檚 six-wicket win over Leicestershire.
Northamptonshire鈥檚 Saif Zaib was given three votes for his knock of 142 in his side鈥檚 victory over Gloucestershire, Kent鈥檚 Bangladeshi international Hasun Mahmud received three for his nine wickets on debut in the win against Lancashire, including second-innings figures of 6-69, and Middlesex skipper Leus du Plooy picked up three after scoring 85 and 101 not out in a 141-run victory over Worcestershire.
Leaderboard
10 鈥� Matthew Potts (Durham)
8 鈥� Leus du Plooy (Middlesex), Craig Overton (Somerset), Ben Raine (Durham)
7 鈥� Tom Abell (Somerset), Ethan Bamber (Warwickshire), James Rew (Somerset)
6 鈥� Matt Critchley (Essex), Jake Lehmann (Hampshire).