Magoffin magic evokes Mushtaq in crushing win

Sussex have soared to the top of Division One after completing an innings victory over Somerset in less than five sessions at Horsham. Steve Magoffin again tormented Somerset, as they were dismissed for 108 - having made 76 in a disastrous first innings on Wednesday - to hand Sussex their third win in five games, with the match completed at 2.35pm on the second day.

Australian quick Magoffin, who had destroyed Somerset with 8 for 20 on the first day, added four more victims to finish with career-best match figures of 12 for 31, the best by a Sussex bowler since Mushtaq Ahmed led them to a third Championship title in five years in 2007.

Somerset's day had started well when Alfonso Thomas had Magoffin (23) caught at mid-on in the first over but only after he had helped Sussex to 300 to secure a third batting bonus point. Somerset began their second innings without too many alarms and openers Marcus Trescothick and Arul Suppiah had reached 27 when Trescothick was caught behind for 13 aiming an airy drive at Magoffin.

It triggered another spectacular collapse as Somerset subsided from 27 for 1 to 63 for 6 before lunch and even when Magoffin came out of the attack there was little respite. James Anyon worked up a lively pace and picked up three wickets as Alviro Petersen got a leading edge to point, Suppiah drove loosely to mid-on and James Hildreth was leg-before playing across the line for the fifth duck by a Somerset player in the match.

Alex Barrow fell in similar circumstances and Peter Trego was superbly caught down the leg side by the diving Ben Brown behind the stumps to give Chris Jordan two wickets as Sussex's seamers maintained their stranglehold.

Jos Buttler attacked briefly after lunch, hitting Monty Panesar's first over for 16 including a straight six before he was athletically caught by the diving Matt Machan at backward square leg off a reverse sweep for 29, Somerset's highest score of the game. But the game ended as it had begun with Magoffin proving virtually unplayable.

The Queenslander wrapped up the innings with the wickets of Jack Leach, taken low down at slip by Jordan, before Brown dived in front of Jordan to take another excellent catch and remove Jamie Overton. His match figures were the best by a Sussex bowler since Mushtaq took 13 for 225 against Worcestershire in 2007 when Sussex won to clinch the Championship title.