Hundred for Horton
Paul Horton's first one-day century provided the platform for Lancashire's victory © Getty Images
Paul Horton scored his first one-day hundred for Lancashire as they defeated Sussex by 46 runs in the third match of the Pro ARCH Trophy in Abu Dhabi.
Batting on the same wicket on which Michael Vaughan made 115 yesterday, Horton went seven better in finishing with 122 off 123 balls as Lancashire were bowled out for 298.
Despite new Sussex captain Michael Yardy leading from the front with both bat and ball, his side were unable to overhaul their target and were eventually dismissed for 252.
Yardy started his reign by taking three wickets and scoring 82, but Lancashire proved too strong under the lights at the Sheikh Zayed stadium.
The win gave coach Peter Moores first blood over his old county, in his first match in charge of the Red Rose, with a strong Sussex-Lancashire rivalry having been generated in recent county seasons.
Kyle Hogg was sent in to face the new ball, alongside Karl Brown, as Lancashire took the opportunity to test out a new opening partnership.
All-rounder Hogg made a fluent 35 off 37 balls, including six fours, before he fell leg before to Tom Smith with the score on 77.
Horton then combined in a partnership of 111 with former captain Mark Chilton, who contributed 59 off 63 until he became Smith's second victim.
The off-spinner finished with figures of 3-52 from nine overs, bettered only by Robin Martin-Jenkins, who took 3-43.
Yardy took the last three scalps to finish with 3-59, including Horton - caught by Chris Nash at deep midwicket at the end of the 46th over.
Yardy carried on his fine performance with the bat, steadying the middle order after the early loss of openers Nash and former Middlesex batsman Ed Joyce.
Rory Hamilton-Brown hit a fine leg-side six, but he was caught behind off the next ball as Hogg got his revenge.
Though Yardy reached his half-century with a beautiful drive for four through long-off, he lost Carl Hopkinson shortly afterwards, bowled by Stephen Parry for 46 to end a 93-run stand for the fourth wicket.
The left-arm spinner went on to bowl Andrew Hodd with the second delivery after the enforced change of ball, and then trapped Yardy lbw to end with 3-40.
The return of Hogg ended Sussex's hopes when Martin-Jenkins chipped to Glen Chapple at midwicket, to leave them seven down with 83 still needed.
With the required run-rate climbing steadily, Lancashire's Tom Smith took his first wicket when he had Ollie Rayner stumped by Luke Sutton and claimed a second when Ragheb Aga was caught by Parry on the boundary.
It was left to Gary Keedy to wrap things up by finding Chris Liddle's edge with over three overs to spare, leaving Smith unbeaten on 30.
