Middlesex fall short in low-scoring clash with Sussex

Robin Martin-Jenkins made a dramatic return to action with three wickets as Sussex squeezed home by seven runs against Middlesex in the floodlit Norwich Union League contest at Hove.

In his first game after two months out with a rib muscle injury, the tall all-rounder took 3-20 and earned the man-of-the-match award as Middlesex, chasing 162 for victory, were restricted to 154-9.

Billy Taylor offered excellent support with 3-20 as Middlesex came up short despite a battling 55 from skipper Paul Weekes who gave his side hope by putting on 88 in 25 overs with Ben Hutton.

Middlesex needed 62 off the last ten overs with wickets in hand, but such was the accuracy of the Sussex seam attack they were unable to score a boundary in the decisive closing overs of a match watched by a crowd of 3,500.

Earlier, Murray Goodwin had played the anchor role in Sussex's 161-7 from their 45 overs with a patient 68, his fourth competition half-century of the season.

But batsmen on both sides struggled to time their shots on a desperately slow pitch and Sussex could only score 21 runs in the last five overs, losing three wickets in the process, when they were looking to accelerate.

Martin-Jenkins and Taylor combined early on to reduce Middlesex to 38-5 in reply and they never really recovered.

Sussex were penalised six runs for not starting the last over by 10.20pm, the first time the punishment has been imposed this season, but 15 to win off the last over proved beyond Middlesex's tail-enders.