Chris Adams today challenged in-form Matt Prior to join one-day cricket's fortysomethings.

Prior fired 93 not out off just 72 balls, including 14 fours and three sixes, to help Sussex Sharks brush aside Scottish Saltires north of the border yesterday.

And those words 'not out' were important as far as skipper Adams, watching from the other end in the final overs, was concerned.

Prior now averages 79.6 in the totespote League this season, a figure topped only by colleague Johan van der Wath in division two.

But his career average in one-day cricket is way below that at almost 24 and Adams insists the figure does not do him any justice.

The Sussex captain said: "Matt was outstanding. He struck the ball with mighty power.

"I'm pleased for him because he got what we call a red-inker, or a not out, which will help his average.

"He needs to get his career average up. It's too low for a good player like him.

"Forty-plus in one-day cricket is outstanding but a player of his ability can achieve that and then look to go higher.

"To be averaging in the mid-20s by his high standards is poor but he can push that figure way up if he has a good year."

Prior already has an innings of 144 against Warwickshire to his name in the totesport League this season.

His 393 runs make him the top aggregate scorer in either division and he would surely have become the first player from any of the 19 competing teams to score a second totesport League century of the season had Sussex needed a few more to beat the rock-bottom Saltires.

Prior has been scoring at about a run a ball all season and he went even better than that yesterday in combining with Ian Ward to give Sussex a great start chasing Saltires' modest 172 all out.

Ward took five boundaries from the one and only over bowled by Dewald Nel as Sussex reached 100 inside 16 overs.

Home skipper Ryan Watson eventually bowled Ward for 51 and ran out Mike Yardy with a direct hit.

Earlier the shot-shy Saltires batsmen were skittled for just 172 after a bright opening stand by Watson and Fraser Watts.

Having reached 24, Watson edged a delivery from Robin Martin-Jenkins to be caught at slip by Adams and the rot immediately set in.

Five runs later Watts lobbed the same bowler to Luke Wright before Gavin Hamilton's effort for the Saltires was cut short when he glanced a simple catch to the keeper.

Aberdeenshire's Colin Smith and Jon Beukes dug in with a stand of 68.

However, their progress was painfully slow with Beukes facing 61 balls for his 35 before Pakistani leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed struck two significant blows.

He first got rid of Beukes, caught on the deep mid-wicket boundary and followed up by claiming the wicket of countryman Yasir Arafat for just two.

Only Smith offered sustained resistance with a spirited 61 from 83 balls, including six boundaries.

However, when he was run out attempting a second, the impressively economical James Kirtley mopped-up the tail.

Off spinner Ollie Rayner took 4-83 to help a joint Sussex and Worcestershire Second XI to a thrilling victory over counterparts from Kent and Middlesex.

Sussex's Rayner and Worcestershire's Pakistani born spinner Shaftab Kahalid (6-84) did the damage between them as Kent and Middlesex, chasing 271 to win, went down by 11 runs at Canterbury.

Sussex's in-form Neil Turk earlier followed his first innings 81 not out with an unbeaten 60 as his side declared on 249-7. He hit six fours from 99 balls.

June 11, 2005