Gloucestershire needed just 90 minutes on the final day at Cheltenham towrap up victory over Sussex by ten wickets
Mark Easterbrook30-Jul-2001Gloucestershire needed just 90 minutes on the final day at Cheltenham towrap up victory over Sussex by ten wickets.Sussex, 353 behind on first innings, resumed on 315-6 and any hopes they mayhave entertained of prolonging the contest beyond lunch disappeared with thedeparture of skipper Chris Adams in the third over of the morning.Adams, unbeaten on 122 overnight, had added a single to his score when hewas caught down the legside as he flicked at a delivery from off-spinnerMartyn Ball. His 257-ball innings contained 19 fours and three sixes.Mark Davis, who had shared in a seventh-wicket stand of 75 with Adams, wasdismissed three overs later when he slashed at a wide ball from James Averisand edged to Russell. His 102-ball innings of 48 was his highest score forSussex and included six boundaries.That left Sussex on 333-8, but the prospect of an innings defeat was avertedby a ninth-wicket partnership of 42 between James Kirtley and Billy Taylor.Taylor took five fours off Averis, two driven through the offside, twosteered over the slips and the other glanced fine on his way to acareer-best 24 not out.Appropriately, it was Ian Harvey, the match’s outstanding bowler, whoended the Sussex innings with the wickets of Kirtley and Mark Robinson insuccessive balls.Kirtley gave Russell his fifth catch, as he looked to play on the legside,and Robinson fell lbw to a ball that hit him on the boot.With 23 needed to win, openers Dominic Hewson and Kim Barnett rattled offthe runs in just 3.3 overs from Kirtley and Taylor.Sussex have now been overtaken by Middlesex at the top of the seconddivision table and must regroup quickly before they take on the Londoners atHove on Thursday.Gloucestershire, meanwhile, should be in buoyant mood as they look forwardto facing Hampshire, another of the promotion hopefuls, at Cheltenham onWednesday.Their first priority, however, will be attempting to try to beatNottinghamshire in a Norwich Union League game at the College Ground onTuesday. Only victory will do if Mark Alleyne’s side are to keep alive theirslender hopes of retaining the title.