Nash bang wallop

Chris Nash' late assault - he struck 35 not out off 13 balls - secured an unlikely Sussex victory with an over to spare

Buy this photo

Chris Nash smashed 26 off the penultimate over of the match to give Sussex a crucial Twenty20 Cup victory over Middlesex at Lord’s.

Middlesex were slight favourites with two overs remaining until Nash hit Chris Silverwood for two sixes and three fours to seal a six-wicket win with an over to spare.

The result ensured Sussex finished as the best runner-up from the three divisions and earned them a home tie against Warwickshire in the quarter-finals.

Scoring had proved difficult at Lord's until Nash cut loose in spectacular fashion, with Middlesex struggling to post a total of 127 for eight.

Their hopes of a big score suffered an early setback as they lost Billy Godleman and Eoin Morgan inside the first four overs.

A stand of 33 between Nick Compton and Dawid Malan briefly gave Middlesex hope until Compton holed out to Ed Joyce on the midwicket boundary for 24 off Mike Yardy, who finished with 1-18 from four overs.

Luke Wright then picked up the wickets of Tyron Henderson and Malan, for 24, in quick succession and should have had a third when Yardy dropped Gareth Berg at slip.

Berg had not got off the mark at that stage and made Sussex pay by going on to top-score with an unbeaten 30 off 33 balls.

Yasir Arafat was the pick of the Sussex bowlers as he finished with 2-13.

Rain delayed the start of Sussex's reply and Middlesex's bowlers took full advantage of the extra zip in the wicket by putting the visitors under pressure straight away.

David Burton, playing in only his third Twenty20 match, removed openers Murray Goodwin and Wright cheaply as he also recorded figures of 2-13.

When Rory Hamilton-Brown fell, Sussex found themselves in deep trouble at 28 for three in the eighth over before a partnership of 55 between former Middlesex batsman Ed Joyce and Dwayne Smith got them back in the game.

Smith fell for 33, lbw trying to reverse-sweep Malan, but Joyce, who finished 41 not out, and Nash, whose unbeaten 35 came off just 13 balls, finished the job.