Joyce leads Sussex stroll

An unbeaten century by Ed Joyce carried Sussex to a surprisingly easy eight-wicket win against 2007 winners Durham in the Friends Provident Trophy tie at Riverside today.

After Sunday’s one-run win against Surrey, Durham opted to play on the same strip and found that the life had ebbed from it as they were throttled by a trio of spinners in bitterly cold conditions.

Youngsters Will Beer and Rory Hamilton-Brown returned combined figures of 5-68 in 17.2 overs, while Sussex captain Michael Yardy also bowled five overs of left-arm spin for 19 runs.

Durham were all out for 192 with 10 balls unused and Joyce finished on 103 when he hit the winning boundary with 6.4 overs to spare.

Under no pressure to score quickly, the former Middlesex batsman was able to pick off the runs at his leisure.

He hit seven fours and a six in his 124-ball knock, sweeping the spinners much more effectively than any home batsman had done.

Skipper Will Smith top-scored for Durham with 65, but it proved to be in vain as Sussex cruised to their target

Steve Harmison twice beat Joe Gatting as he opened up with a maiden, but his remaining six overs cost 37 runs and neither Sussex opener was unduly troubled in a stand of 117.

It ended in the 30th over when Gatting was lbw to Mitchell Claydon for 48, although Riverside’s new replay screen, which doubles up as a scoreboard, confirmed that the ball may have missed leg stump.

The day’s other questionable decision started the rot for Durham. Gordon Muchall cut the first two balls of the 10th over fiercely for four off Luke Wright to take the score to 48 for one.

But in his next two overs Wright had Muchall caught behind for 15 and Phil Mustard lbw for 27 and the rest of the innings was a real struggle.

Muchall looked unhappy when Vanburn Holder raised his finger after several seconds of deliberation, but as he had been dropped on nought by Damian Wright at second slip he is still struggling to repay Durham’s faith in him.

Skipper Will Smith held the innings together, making 65 before he was last out. There was only one four in his half-century, but he hit three off James Kirtley in the 48th over, proving that the slow men were more effective.

Leg-spinner Beer impressed with 2-29 in nine overs, while Hamilton-Brown finished with 3-37 after bowling Callum Thorp and Smith when the slog was on.

The game was as good as won for Sussex by the time Gatting was given out, but Luke Wright then survived a sharp low chance on one to Muchall at backward point.

The total had moved on to 171 in the 40th over before Wright miscued Ian Blackwell to extra cover going for an unnecessary big hit.

Murray Goodwin then confidently helped Joyce complete the task.