Sussex won by two wickets

INJURY-HIT Kent gave championship-chasing Sussex the fright of their lives before the Division 1 leaders limped home to a two-wicket win in Canterbury.

Without their three most experienced bowlers through injury, bereft of both overseas players and with their skipper Robert Key away witnessing the birth of his first child, Kent put in a spirited third day performance to push Chris Adams’ side all the way.

Set to chase 161 for victory, the visitors struggled to cope with Kent’s former England A off-spinner James Tredwell whose career-best return of six for 81 gave the champions’ elect a severe attack of the jitters.

The hosts will point to dropped catches against Chris Adams and Robin Martin-Jenkins that possibly allowed Sussex off the hook but, in the end, it was man-of-the-match Mushtaq Ahmed who steered them home.

Having taken 13 wickets in the game Mushtaq held his nerve when everyone else lost theirs to hit an unbeaten 13 that steered them to an eighth win of the summer with 43 overs to spare.

Earlier in the day Kent batted on for 10 overs in adding a further 22 runs to their disappointing overnight score.

Joseph kept Neil Dexter company for half-an-hour in taking Kent’s total beyond 200 before the re-introduction of Mushtaq Ahmed broke their resolve.

With only his third ball of the day and his first to Joseph, Mushtaq found an inside edge for Montgomerie to snaffle a bat-pad chance at short-leg.

Henderson, who broke his left foot on the first day of the game after being hit by a yorker from Yasir Arafat, hobbled in bravely to attempt to bat but lasted only three balls before having his middle stump trimmed by Jason Lewry.

Dexter was left unbeaten with 30, while Mushtaq claimed seven for 74 to take his match figures to 13 for 132 – his best ever return in a game for Sussex.

It left the visitors to score 161 from the remaining 91 overs in order to strengthen their lead in Division 1, a feat they achieved just about managed to achieve.

SCORECARD

Kent first innings

D P Fulton lbw b Lewry 3
R W T Key lbw b Lewry 15
M van Jaarsveld c Goodwin b Ahmed 116
M J Walker st Prior b Ahmed 48
D I Stevens c Adams b Ahmed 24
G O Jones lbw Ahmed 1
N J Dexter b Yasir Arafat 0
J C Tredwell not out 2
T Henderson b Ahmed 2
S J Cook c Adams b Ahmed 2
R H Joseph lbw b Arafat 1

Extras 26

Total 241 all out after 69.1 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-10, 2-27, 3-176, 4-215, 5-221, 6-222, 7-230, 8-234, 9-240

Bowling: Lewry 15-1-38-2, Kirtley 11-1-43-0, Arafat 15.1-1-85-2, Martin Jenkins 6-2-12-0, Mushtaq 22-6-58-6.

Sussex first innings

R R Montgomerie lbw b Joseph 1
C D Hopkinson lbw b Joseph 3
C D Nash c Jones b Joseph 42
M W Goodwin c Jones b Cook 51
C J Adams not out 0
M J Prior c Stevens b Tredwell 30
R S Martin-Jenkins c Walker b Tredwell 0
Yasir Arafat lbw b Tredwell 18
Mushtaq Ahmed not out 25
R J Kirtley c Fulton b Tredwell 0
J D Lewry b Joseph 2

Extras 42

Total 289 all out after 72.2. overs

Fall of wicket: 1-2, 2-5, 3-116, 4-116, 5-201, 6-216, 7-253, 8-265, 9-270

Bowling: Cook 18-4-60-1, Joseph 17.2-4-57-5, Dexter 6-0-25-0, Stevens 15-1-48-0, Tredwell 16-0-84-4.

Kent second innings

D P Fulton c Adams b Kirtley 6
R W T Key c Prior b Kirtley 0
M van Jaarsveld st Prior b Ahmed 9
M J Walker st Prior b Ahmed 66
D I Stevens st Prior b Ahmed 54
G O Jones c Arafat b Ahmed 4
J C Tredwell lbw b Ahmed 15
N J Dexter not out 30
S J Cook c Lewry b Ahmed 2
R H Joseph c Montgomerie b Mushtaq 7
T Henderson b Lewry 1

Extras 14

Total 208 all out after 73

Fall of wicket: 1-5, 2-15, 3-29, 4-111, 5-119, 6-154, 7-180, 8-182, 9-203

Bowling: Lewry 19-1-39-1, Kirtley 12-3-24-2, Mushtaq Ahmed 27-2-74-7, Martin-Jenkins 1-0-9-0, Yasir Arafat 13-2-40-0, Nash 1-0-9-0.

Sussex second innings

R R Montgomerie c van Jaarsveld b Cook 4
C D Hopkinson b Tredwell 9
C D Nash c Jones b Tredwell 28
M W Goodwin c van Jaarsveld 15
C J Adams c Walker b Cook 38
M J Prior c & b Tredwell 19
R S C Martin-Jenkins c Stevens b Tredwell 5
Yasir Arafat c Fulton b Tredwell 22
Mushtaq Ahmed not out 13
R K Kirtley not out 3

Extras 4

Total 161 for eight after 48.2 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-7, 2-17, 3-53, 4-74, 5-105, 6-119, 7-144, 8-145,

Bowling: Cook 14.2-5-35-2, Joseph 6-0-26-0, Tredwell 20-3-81-6, Stevens 8-2-16-0.

Bonus points: Kent 4pts, Sussex 19pts.