Henry Crocombe claims hat-trick as Sussex crush Somerset in Hove

During the first day of the Rothesay County Championship Division One at Hove, Sussex bowled Somerset out for 202 in 58 overs, aided by seamer-friendly conditions. Henry Crocombe delivered a standout performance, claiming five wickets and completing a hat-trick—the first for Sussex since Jason Lewry in 2001. Somerset’s initial resistance came from a 95-run stand between Tom Abell (72) and Craig Overton (54), but the lower order fell quickly, losing five wickets for just 11 runs.

Sean Hunt, Jaydev Unadkat and Tom Clark also contributed key wickets, while Somerset’s batting faltered against movement rather than swing. At the close, Sussex were 77-2, still 125 runs behind with eight wickets remaining, while Crocombe prepared to join Surrey next season.