Liddle helps send Sussex top

Sussex cruised to an eight-wicket win over Northamptonshire at Arundel to consolidate their place at the top of group C in the Clydesdale Bank 40.

Chris Liddle took 4 for 21 and Scott Styris 2 for 12 as Northamptonshire were bowled out for 129 after James Middlebrook (37) and Rob Keogh (30) had rescued them from 46 for 6 at one stage. Murray Goodwin scored an unbeaten 67 and put on 96 for the third wicket with Ed Joyce as Sussex eased home in the 31st over.

Northants arrived having lost all three of their completed games in the competition and were soon in trouble as they slumped on a tricky wicket. They got off to a bad start when Kyle Coetzer was bowled off the second ball of the innings by Amjad Khan.

David Willey followed in the next over to give Kirk Wernars a wicket on his debut in the competition to leave Northants on 2 for 2. Wernars picked up a second wicket when David Sales played on and Alex Wakely's brief cameo of 16 came to an end when he drove a ball from Liddle straight to Joyce at short extra cover.

Styris then removed Rob Newton and David Murphy before Keogh and Middlebrook began the recovery with a partnership of 60 for the seventh wicket. Keogh hit 30 from 60 balls before Liddle returned to the attack to have him caught at long-on while Middlebrook was caught on the boundary in the final over for 37.

Sussex's chase did not get off to the best of starts as Chris Nash chipped a catch to mid-on off the bowling of Willey in only the third over. Luke Wright followed trying to break the shackles of some tight Northants bowling as he skied a catch off the bowling of Coetzer.

At that stage Sussex were 34 for 2 after 10 overs and a tricky afternoon looked in prospective but Joyce and Goodwin ensured the hosts cruised home with plenty to spare.

After playing cautiously to begin with Goodwin cut loose by smashing Middlebrook for the only six of the match and then hitting Coetzer for three consecutive fours to bring up his 50 off 59 balls. He was dropped on 51 by wicketkeeper David Murphy and finished unbeaten on 67 off 74 balls with six fours and a six.