Cheteshawar Pujara keeps Sussex believing in awkward chase

Sussex maintained their push to reach the knockout stage of the Royal London Cup with a four-wicket win over Durham at Seat Unique Riverside as skipper Cheteshwar Pujara steered his side home in a nervy chase of 229.

The visitors were able to restrict Durham to 228 for eight from their 50 overs courtesy of three wickets from James Coles, while Aristides Karvelas and Bradley Currie claimed two wickets. Graham Clark top-scored for the hosts with 69 and George Drissell notched a career-best 37, but defending their total was always going to be a challenge.

Sussex made a composed start as Ali Orr provided the platform with a knock of 60, but regular wickets for the home side made life interesting as the South-Coast outfit wobbled during the latter stages of the chase. However, Pujara held his patience with an unbeaten 49 before Coles knocked off the winning runs with a drive down the ground.

Durham were already out of contention - their points for a solitary victory scrubbed out by a two-point deduction. They won the toss and opted to bat first at the Riverside, but the opening partnership lasted into only the fourth over as Nic Maddinson edged to second slip for only a single. Currie then claimed his second wicket of his first spell with a beauty to Scott Borthwick, removing the Durham skipper's off-stump to reduce the hosts to 24 for two. Sean Dickson joined Clark in the middle and two fended off the new ball to move the home side past fifty through the first Powerplay.

Karvelas had an unsuccessful opening burst, but a change in ends brought the wicket of Dickson, who chopped on to his own stumps. Clark was the only Durham batsman to find his form, scoring a flurry of early boundaries before settling into his knock and reaching his second fifty of the season.

The opener looked well set to kick on, but played across the line to the left-arm spin of Coles and was out for 69. Coles handed Sussex complete control of the innings by bowling Tomas Mackintosh, leaving the hosts in a desperate scramble to post a competitive total. Useful knocks from Paul Coughlin and Stanley McAlindon provided impetus before Drissell notched a career-best 37 to steer Durham to 228 from their 50 overs.

Sussex began their chase in confident fashion as Orr and Tom Alsop eased their way into rhythm. Orr was given a chance off Chris Rushworth when Coughlin put down a skier at mid-off on 22, and he capitalised to post a half-century. The Sussex openers shared a stand of 94 before Trevaskis made the breakthrough as Alsop was caught behind miscuing a reverse sweep.

Orr worked his way to 60, but the break in play for drinks halted his momentum and from the first ball from the restart he was pinned lbw by Drissell. Trevaskis opened the door for the hosts to apply pressure as he removed Tom Clark for 19, with Sussex still requiring 98 runs for victory. Harrison Ward's frustration got the better of him, playing a loose drive straight to Drissell, while Delray Rawlins was dismissed for 13 by McAlindon.

Pujara held the key for Sussex in the closing overs as Durham dried up the runs amid tight bowling from Rushworth, McAlindon and Ollie Gibson. The visitors were forced to work the total off in singles as boundaries were at a premium, taking the game into a final over when five were required. Coles took the drama out of the equation by smashing a boundary straight down the ground to secure the win.