Khan steals last-ball win for Sussex

Yorkshire had victory snatched from their grasp by Sussex off the last ball in a thrilling finish to the Clydesdale Bank 40 contest at Headingley which the visitors won by three wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis system.

Defeat for Yorkshire in the 28-over game ended their hopes of making it through to the semi-finals whereas Sussex remain top of the Group C table.

The visitors chased down a revised target of 207 after Yorkshire had knocked up 200 for 8 and they still required 16 with three wickets in hand off the last over which was bowled by offspinner Azeem Rafiq.

The game swung dramatically their way as Amjad Khan lashed the first delivery for six and the next for four. Two were needed off the final delivery and Khan got them by managing to squeeze the ball through backward point.

It was tough luck on Rafiq and fellow spinner, Adil Rashid, who had bowled splendidly together when Sussex were 156 for 4, needing 51 off six overs. The pair conceded only five apiece off the next two overs, Rafiq also bowling Joe Gatting, and he later dismissed Mike Yardy, leaving Sussex wanting 35 from 14 balls, their position improving through a six from Ben Brown.

Brown fell to Tim Bresnan to make it 185 for 7 and Yorkshire were still firm favourites until Khan's late onslaught, Sussex earlier having been well served with half-centuries from Chris Nash and Ed Joyce.

Put in to bat, Yorkshire made 14 off the first four overs before rain caused a lengthy delay and on the resumption skipper Andrew Gale and Phil Jaques were eager to make up for lost time. They had advanced the score to 33 by the eighth over when Jaques was bowled making room to try and cut a yorker from Chris Liddle but the tempo increased still further with the arrival of Joe Root.

He powered to 13 with three boundaries off the first four balls he faced while Gale launched himself at Monty Panesar with two big sixes over long on. The second wicket pair raced their stand to 50 off 34 balls and it had galloped on to 75 in 10 overs when Gale was caught on the boundary edge off Luke Wright for 43 from 55 deliveries with three fours and two sixes.

A return catch to Nash ended Root's spree on 41 from 26 balls with four fours and a six but Adam Lyth and Bresnan made sure that Yorkshire's progress was maintained, Lyth making a bright 19 and Bresnan including a front foot cover drive for six off Khan and two consecutive boundaries off Yardy who pinned him lbw for 27 with his next delivery. Sussex employed seven bowlers, the most successful being Liddle with three for 44.