Sussex clinch final Pro40 crown

Just days after being relegated in the LV= County Championship, Sussex celebrate their Division One win in the final edition of the NatWest Pro40 at New Road

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Sussex were made to sweat for 35 minutes at New Road before learning they had retained the Division One title in the final season of NatWest Pro40.

Having lost their final fixture against Worcestershire by 49 runs, Sussex were eventually rescued by events at Taunton where Somerset were consigned to the runners-up spot in the competition after their defeat by Durham.

Replying to Worcestershire’s 214 for six, they crucially lost three wickets for eight runs as they lurched to 88 for six before being bowled out for 165 in the 35th over.

The lower order batsmen were landed with too much to do and despite three sixes in Piyush Chawla’s 32 from 33 balls, Worcestershire secured third place after contributions by three players making farewell appearances.

Surrey-bound Steve Davies, who left after the match in preparation to join the England squad in South Africa if Matt Prior does not recover, made 33 from 22 balls.

Meanwhile, Gareth Batty, who is also heading for Surrey, and Ian Fisher, who is not being retained, shared six wickets.

Sussex’s bid to reach their target misfired after Rory Hamilton-Brown had taken 16 runs off Jack Shantry in the opening over.

Seam bowlers Chris Whelan and Gareth Andrew made a double breakthrough and Ed Joyce tamely smacked the last ball of Fisher’s first over to mid-on.

Murray Goodwin raised hopes for a while but a serious collapse was under way when Fisher, who finished with 3-18, held the easiest of return chances.

Yardy was unlucky to be run out by a deflection from the bowler, Daryl Mitchell, and Sussex must have thought it would not be their day when Worcestershire’s fielding reached new heights.

Moeen Ali ran round the deep midwicket boundary to hold a chance from Chris Nash and Andrew Hodd was stunned by Mitchell’s one-handed catch at short fine leg.

Sussex had performed adequately in the field with each of their six bowlers taking one wicket after an early battering.

Davies looked set for special send-off, but after driving successive boundaries off Robin Martin-Jenkins, he was well caught by Goodwin at leg slip.

Vikram Solanki (20) and Stephen Moore (24) kept things moving and the industrious Moeen raised the stakes with a straight six before Chawla had him caught at long-off for 51, his one-day half-century of the season at New Road.