Liddle skittles Middlesex to clinch win

Chris Liddle bowled a sensational penultimate over to help Sussex clinch an 11-run victory over Middlesex at Lord's. Liddle took three wickets in four balls to finish with career-best figures of 5 for 17 and wreck Middlesex's hopes of chasing down Sussex's total of 143 for 8.

Toby Roland-Jones and Gareth Berg had put Sussex in trouble but they fought back from 26 for 3 to post a competitive total thanks to forties from Murray Goodwin and Scott Styris.

Sussex made a terrible start after winning the toss and lost Luke Wright, Matt Machan and Chris Nash inside the opening six overs. Steven Crook had Wright caught at the wicket while Machan lobbed a simple catch off the same bowler to mid-off as Crook finished with figures of 2 for 29.

Joe Gatting and Goodwin began the fightback by putting on 30 in 21 balls before Tom Smith beat a tentative defensive prod to bowl Gatting for 11. Goodwin has been in woeful form this season but came to Sussex's rescue by adding 56 with Scott Styris before being bowled by Roland-Jones.

Styris made the most of being dropped by Dawid Malan on 25 but fell just short of his half-century when he hit Roland-Jones straight to Berg at extra cover on 48. Sussex's innings tailed off after that as they limped to 143 for 8, with Berg picking up the wickets of Ben Brown and Mike Yardy in the final over.

Liddle made the initial breakthrough by having Joe Denly caught at long-off while Paul Stirling also went cheaply. Malan top-scored with 38 before he picked out Goodwin on the boundary off the bowling of Will Beer.

Berg and Neil Dexter put on 53 for the fourth wicket before Liddle returned to end their partnership by fooling Berg with a slower ball he lobbed straight to point for 23. Middlesex still looked favourites until Liddle produced fireworks in the penultimate over by removing Dexter (36), John Simpson and Chris Rogers.