An action-packed day of cricket in Cardiff saw Glamorgan beat Sussex by five wickets, as 12 wickets fell on a pulsating final day.
Oli Carter and Delray Rawlins had put on 104 for the sixth wicket after Sussex had lost two early wickets, as they looked to settle the nerves, taking the lead into three figures just after lunch.
Glamorgan roared back into the contest with three wickets in five balls to bowl Sussex out for 258, after they had been 220 for five.
Set 141 to win from 43 overs, Glamorgan struggled against the new ball and fell to 9 for three with Sean Hunt picking up two early wickets. Northeast and Carlson steadied the ship with a partnership of 76.
Tim Seifert was the first wicket of the day as he slapped a full toss from Andrew Salter into the grateful hands of Kiran Carlson at mid-wicket. Michael Neser was then rewarded for a probing spell in the morning as he trapped Daniel Ibrahim lbw for just five with Sussex still trailing by two runs.
Oli Carter once again showed his class with another well-compiled half-century before the break, backing up his first-innings century. Delray Rawlins joined Carter at the crease and rode his luck early on, as Neser a dropped a caught and bowled chance when he was on 13.
Sussex got to lunch at 183 for five and Rawlins soon reached a stylish half-century after the interval. The two compiled a sixth wicket partnership of 104 and looked like they would pull their side towards a draw as Sussex were 220 for five.
Glamorgan then blew the game wide open with three wickets in five balls. Colin Ingram came back into the attack and took the massive wicket of Carter, who swept another innocuous delivery straight to short fine leg for a well-made 83.
Andy Gorvin, the covid substitute for Michael Hogan, then struck twice in the next over as he bowled Rawlins for 57 and had Henry Crocombe caught behind for a duck – and Glamorgan were firmly in the ascendency as Sussex fell to 224 for eight.
Neser finished off the rest of the tail removing Jack Brooks for eight and Sean Hunt for two as Sussex were dismissed for 258, with Glamorgan requiring 141 runs to win from 43 overs.
A simple chase was turned on its head as the century makers from the Glamorgan first innings, Eddie Byrom and Colin Ingram, were removed by Jack Brooks and Sean Hunt for two and nought respectively, before Hunt bowled the Glamorgan skipper for seven.
Northeast and Carlson settled some nerves with a partnership of 76, then Carlson ran past a googly from Archie Lenham and was stumped for 45. It became five down when Root was well caught by Seifert off the bowling of Brooks, with 22 runs required for victory
The batters then took 13 off the next over to make things a formality before Chris Cooke smashed Lenham through the covers to seal a memorable win at Sophia Gardens, with Northeast finishing unbeaten on 45.
Glamorgan take 23 points away from the victory and leap to joint third in the LV= County Championship table.
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Sam Northeast said: “I guess it is never easy. I guess it probably should have been easy, especially after watching England yesterday when it looked like chasing was a breeze in the park.
“We had a little stumble at the start and had to rebuild and get a partnership going. Kiran Carlson came out and played his usual aggressive self and made life a lot easier for me. We got a bit of a partnership going and kept that momentum right to the end.”
Sussex coach Ian Salisbury said: “First and foremost, I think it was a pretty good game of cricket. I hate losing so it is never great to reflect on a loss.
“We lost it on the second day afternoon session. We bowled poorly. That’s factual. Take those two sessions out, maybe it could have been a draw. It could have been a closer game.
“Ingram and Byrom played well but we bowled poorly. From 200 and plenty for one we bowled well, but the damage was done then, and we were always trying to play claw back.
“I was proud of the effort we put in and Oli Carter had a sensational game. We gave it a red hot go and I wouldn’t expect anything else but ultimately we lost in that partnership.”
