Goodwin keeps his cool

Murray Goodwin carried Sussex over the line with a cool unbeaten half-century

Murray Goodwin hit a measured unbeaten 54 as Sussex went joint top of NatWest Pro40 Division One with a five-wicket victory over Middlesex.

The Crusaders were bowled out for a below-par 165, after winning the toss, and the Sharks reached their target under the Hove floodlights with 22 balls remaining.

Sussex face Nottinghamshire in their final match at Trent Bridge on Sunday, with the winners assured of the title.

Former Zimbabwe batsman Goodwin displayed his battling qualities in guiding Sussex home after their run-chase began poorly on a slow pitch.

He hit four boundaries in reaching his half-century off 70 balls, and he took his side to their fourth win in the competition by sharing an unbroken sixth-wicket stand off 55 with Carl Hopkinson, who made 22 not out.

Sussex's reply got off to a shaky start with Mike Yardy, Luke Wright and skipper Chris Adams falling as they stumbled to 35 for three.

Yardy was caught at backward point off Dirk Nannes in the first over before Tim Murtagh had Wright taken at square-leg and Adams was yorked by Tyrone Henderson.

Opener Matt Prior and Goodwin steadied Sussex by putting on 37 in eight overs for the fourth wicket.

Prior had reached 38 when he was pinned in front by Indian spinner Murali Kartik, and Dwayne Smith (25) joined Goodwin to add 39 before becoming Henderson's second victim.

Bottom-of-the-table Middlesex earlier struggled to post a competitive total and, but for a steady 64 from opener Ed Joyce, would not have passed 150.

Matt Prior looks on as Ed Joyce pierces the off side on the way to a patient 64 for Middlesex

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Joyce led the way by striking four fours and a six from 95 deliveries, sharing a gritty seventh-wicket stand of 78 in 15 overs with skipper Shaun Udal, who made 45.

Middlesex, with only one win in the competition, had got off to the worse possible start when Andrew Strauss fell in only the third over for four.

Pakistan paceman Mohammed Sami marked his home debut for Sussex by having the left-hander caught at third man as he chased a wide half-volley.

Joyce shared a second-wicket stand of 26 in eight overs with Owais Shah before the latter fell to Luke Wright, the first of three wickets to tumble in 10 balls.

After Shah was caught behind attempting to pull, Henderson was superbly taken at short extra-cover for a duck, driving rashly at Robin Martin-Jenkins.

Eoin Morgan, who played on, became a second victim for Wright, and Middlesex had lost half their side for only 52 when Dawid Malan was trapped leg before by Martin-Jenkins with one that nipped back.

Joyce's innings ended in the 36th over when he holed out on the square-leg boundary off former England pace bowler James Kirtley, who finished with 3-25.

Medium-pacers Wright and Martin-Jenkins claimed 3-14 and 2-33 respectively, while Sami took 2-48.