Derbyshire complete remarkable turnaround to end Sussex's promotion dream

Chasing a tough target of 345, Sussex folded against a depleted Derbyshire attack and were dismissed for 163 with Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Anuj Dal and Matt Critchley each taking three wickets

Derby (third day of four): Derbyshire 138 & 437, Sussex 231 & 163 - Derbyshire won by 181 runs

Scorecard

Derbyshire ended a run of three County Championship defeats to put paid to Sussex's promotion hopes.

Chasing a tough target of 345, Sussex folded against a depleted Derbyshire attack and were dismissed for 163 with Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Anuj Dal and Matt Critchley each taking three wickets. 

Ollie Robinson had given them hope with 5-88 and Reece Topley 4-58 after Derbyshire lost their last eight wickets for 77 to be bowled out for 437 but that was soon snuffed out as the home side celebrated with more than 24 overs left in the day.

The damage to Sussex’s prospects was inflicted on day two but at least the visitors responded with a vastly improved performance with the ball lead by Robinson.

He ran in with intent to take the first five wickets before Reece Topley polished off the tail to leave Sussex with a slim chance of pulling off the win they needed.

Their chase was made easier in theory by an injury to seamer Tony Palladino but Sussex could not put together a meaningful stand and came up well short.

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Robinson showed what might have been if his side had bowled with discipline at the start of Derbyshire’s second innings when he had Billy Godleman caught at second slip off the first ball of the day.

Dal quickly followed, edging another that moved away late, and when Harvey Hosein fell across the crease and was lbw, the home side had lost three wickets in five overs

Matt Critchley and Matt McKiernan quickly followed and after Leus du Plooy and Fynn Hudson-Prentice took Derbyshire’s lead towards 350, Topley completed a memorable return to championship cricket.

He pinned Du Plooy lbw and tempted Hudson-Prentice into a pull to deep midwicket before an inswinging yorker accounted for Dustin Melton.

Sussex knew time was not a factor and the wicket had flattened out but although several players got a start, none of them could play the substantial innings needed.

Luke Wells was athletically caught at square leg by McKiernan and Will Beer played around his front pad to be lbw to Dal.

Salt had flirted with danger numerous times before he steered Dale to fist slip and Delray Rawlins fell to a loose shot for the second time in the match in the penultimate over before tea.

Sussex’s fate was settled when Hudson-Prentice had Stiaan Van Zyl and David Wieise caught behind off successive balls, leaving Ben Brown to watch helplessly as his side subsided meekly to the legspin of Critchley.

Report courtesy of the ECB Reporters Network