Sussex batting collapse hands victory to Worcestershire

Worcestershire Royals went top of Norwich Union League Division Two after a comprehensive 70 run win over Sussex Sharks at Horsham.

Chasing 211 to win, Sussex were in with a shout when Richard Montgomerie and Chris Adams put on 63 in 18 overs for the second wicket.

But Montgomerie's departure - lbw to Stuart Lampitt for 42 - sparked an ignominious middle order collapse with saw five runs fall for six runs in 35 balls including Adams who drove left-arm spinner Matt Rawnsley to cover after making 33.

Will House (34) held up Worcestershire until skipper Graeme Hick came on to take three wickets in three overs at the end as Sussex subsided to 140 all out.

Earlier Vikram Solanki and Hick had accelerated in the second half of Worcestershire's innings to enable them set a competitive total on a slow pitch.

Solanki was out in the last over after making 63 off 69 balls although, crucially as it turned out, he was dropped by wicketkeeper Matt Prior off Mark Davis when he'd made six.

Hick scored his second half-century of the season in the competition against Sussex while for the home side Mark Robinson was the most accurate bowler, taking 1-19 off nine overs at the start of the innings.

James Kirtley took 2-41 and there were first wickets in the competition for two years for Jason Lewry and Chris Adams. But Sussex allowed Worcestershire to accelerate far too easily in the second half of their innings and it cost them a third defeat in four matches this season.