Defeat in Yorkshire is setback to Sussex’s County Championship promotion hopes

Resuming on 28 for two from 10 overs in pursuit of 103, the home side clinched a 21-point haul in exactly an hour’s play despite losing four wickets to off-spinner Jack Carson.

Opener Adam Lyth top-scored with 40 as Yorkshire claimed their third successive Championship victory dating back to June, consigning the league leaders to only a second defeat in 10 matches this season. Excellent Carson claimed his four consolatory wickets to finish with a career best nine for 120 in the match.

Yorkshire, in third, started this fixture 27 points behind Sussex but are now only nine adrift with four rounds remaining.

The White Rose county have won three Championship matches in a row for the first time since the early stages of 2021 when they beat Kent and Sussex away and Northamptonshire at Headingley.

Yorkshire and Middlesex face each other at Headingley from Thursday. Sussex, meanwhile, host Derbyshire at Hove next as they look to bounce back from a first defeat since May.

Lyth set the tone in the day’s third over when he took back-to-back boundaries off Jaydev Unadkat’s left-arm seam - one flicked to fine-leg and the other cut through backward point.

He then pulled Carson over midwicket and cut Ollie Robinson over backward point for sixes in the following two overs, taking the score to 59 for two. The writing was on the wall for Sussex.

They actually started the day minus three on the over-rate, with counties deducted a point for each over they are behind the rate.

So it was no surprise to see Carson employed early by captain John Simpson in a bid to speed things up. Realistically, improving that was their main target for the day, and they achieved it.

Although Lyth led the way, he was importantly helped out by nightwatchman Dan Moriarty, who contributed 17 to a third-wicket partnership of 51.

They came together at 18 for two late on day three and extinguished Sussex’s slim hopes of a turnaround.

Moriarty, Yorkshire’s regular number 11, was lbw to Carson - 69 for three - before the same bowler had Lyth caught behind down leg at the second attempt by Simpson with a further seven runs added to the total.

Carson also trapped James Wharton lbw to bring Jonny Bairstow to the crease with only eight to win, and he holed out to deep midwicket for a two-ball duck.

Captain Jonny Tattersall hit the winning runs.