Sussex 143 and 237
Northamptonshire 97 and 220
Sussex won by 63 runs
Sussex quick bowler Nathan McAndrew took five wickets, including two in three balls, to power his county to victory over Northamptonshire and cement their place at the top of the Vitality County Championship Division Two.
Australian overseas signing McAndrew, who removed both openers yesterday, finished with figures of five for 73 as Northamptonshire were bowled out for 220, Sussex winning by 63 runs.
A short, fiery spell from overlooked England seamer Ollie Robinson did the early damage in gloomy, drizzly conditions.
Robinson found plenty of bounce and carry to remove both not out Northamptonshire batters, Matthew Breetzke and Rob Keogh, inside the first 20 minutes of this third morning at Wantage Road.
It was a spell which effectively dashed the hosts’ remaining hopes of chasing 284 to win.
While Robinson went off with a niggle soon afterwards, Sussex kept the pressure on, removing the in-form Lewis McManus cheaply before a stubborn eighth wicket partnership of 50 in 14 overs between Justin Broad (45) and Ben Sanderson (24) kept Northamptonshire in the chase.
But McAndrew, playing the second of two Championship matches this summer, then returned to take the last three wickets to earn his side their fifth win of the summer.
Northamptonshire had started the day on 137-4 – still needing a further 147 to pull off a first win of the season.
But they soon lost South African T20 international Breetzke (12) when he pulled out of a pull shot against Robinson, only for the ball to climb and take the edge through to keeper John Simpson.
Robinson then got another pacy delivery to lift sharply, with Keogh (12) only able to edge through to Jack Carson at fourth slip.
Sean Hunt then accounted for McManus (5), caught behind, to leave Northamptonshire in trouble at 155-7, having lost three wickets for 11 in seven overs.
Broad and Sanderson dug in to keep Northamptonshire’s hopes alive, running sharp ones and twos to keep the scoreboard ticking over, but unafraid to put the bad balls away.
Sanderson showed his batting credentials with a glorious on drive past the bowler for four to get off the mark against Hunt before clipping Fynn Hudson-Prentice off his legs through midwicket for another boundary.
In neat symmetry, Broad, who drove Robinson straight down the ground for four to bring up Northamptonshire’s 150, reverse swept the left-arm spin of James Coles for another boundary to take the hosts past 200.
The decision to reintroduce McAndrew into the attack proved inspired when, in his first over, he removed Sanderson, who chipped straight to Dan Hughes at mid-on. Then, two balls later, the bowler accounted for Raphy Weatherall with an unplayable inswinging yorker.
Broad still showed belief though, taking the attack to McAndrew, ramping over the keeper for four, smashing over midwicket for six and carving the ball square for another boundary.
The bowler ultimately had the last word though and when Broad tried to swing him over fine leg, Coles took the catch in the deep.
Sussex ended with 18 points, not 19, because they were deducted one point for a slow over rate. Northamptonshire earned three points.
