Sussex's march towards the totesport league division two title took another knock as they crashed to a three-run defeat at Derbyshire yesterday.

Michael Di Venuto scored his third century of the season in the competition as the Phantoms made 232-3 while fellow Australian Jon Moss took two wickets in the final over as the Sharks were bowled out for 229.

Pakistani all-rounder Rana Naved looked to have won the game for the Sharks, who needed 11 from the last two overs.

But he holed out at deep midwicket for 30 and then Moss, whose previous over had gone for 16, closed the game out.

Di Venuto took his totesport run tally to 677 runs in 12 innings as he and Steve Stubbings added 102 in 19 overs before the Sussex spinners pegged the home side back.

The introduction of Mushtaq Ahmed and Mark Davis saw Derbyshire lose momentum with only 54 runs coming from the next 16 overs.

Mushtaq's nine overs cost only 39 for one wicket and Davis conceded just 30 from his nine although it was Mike Yardy who took the other two wickets to fall.

Montgomerie and Matt Prior got Sussex's reply off to a good start by adding 54 in nine overs but the introduction of spin turned the match on its head again as the Sharks slipped from 104-1 to 187-7 as Ant Botha and Andy Gray did the damage.

Sussex needed 41 from the last five overs but Naved gave them hope, hitting a six and four fours from 19 balls until he swung Ian Hunter into the hands of Moss.

Sussex needed eight off the last over but Moss bounced back by having Mushtaq caught at cover and then bowling Kirtley with the final ball of the match.

Monday, August 15, 2005