County Championship: Barbadian Cummins leads Worcestershire to thrilling victory at Hove

Miguel Cummins bowled Worcestershire to a thrilling victory by 11 runs over Sussex at Hove after claiming 12 wickets in the match.
Chris Jordan hit 50 off 80 balls. Picture by Phil Westlake SUS-160206-083801001Chris Jordan hit 50 off 80 balls. Picture by Phil Westlake SUS-160206-083801001
Chris Jordan hit 50 off 80 balls. Picture by Phil Westlake SUS-160206-083801001

The Barbadian followed up his 7 for 84 in the first innings by taking 5 for 82 in the second, including the last four, just when it appeared that Sussex were heading to victory.

Chris Jordan (50) and David Wiese, who finished unbeaten on 70, put on 114 in 23 overs for the seventh wicket to get Sussex to within 45 runs of their target.

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Even when Jordan was square up by Cummins and caught behind the ball after reaching his second half-century of the match, Wiese and Jofra Archer added 19 runs to get the target down to 26.

But Archer (16) then showed his inexperience, chasing a ball well outside off stump and edging to second slip after Cummins switched back to bowling down the slope.

Wiese cracked two boundaries as Sussex took 13 off the next over from Joe Leach to get the target down to 13 but the contest was ended by Cummins in spectacular style.

Brett D’Oliveira produced a wonderful catch at square leg to intercept Danny Briggs’ leg-side flick and with the next ball Cummins sent middle stump flying as he yorked Steve Magoffin before setting off on a celebratory run around the outfield, with his delighted team-mates in hot pursuit.

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Victory has improved Worcestershire’s chances of finishing behind champions Essex in the second division with a home game against Derbyshire to end their season.

They had started the final day needing nine wickets with Sussex requiring 259 runs and they made the perfect start when Leach bowled Craig Cachopa through the gate with the second ball of the day, condemning Cachopa to a pair.

Sussex were soon 42 for 4 as Cummins bowled Ben Brown with a nip-backer which kept a touch low and Joe Leach collected his 60th wicket of the season when Fynn Hudson-Prentice (20) was bowled.

But the green shoots of a Sussex recovery began to sprout in a fifth wicket stand of 54 between Ollie Robinson and Phil Salt, who had started to look at ease until he drove a slower ball from Charlie Morris to mid-off for 17.

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Worcestershire looked to have more or less wrapped things up on the stroke of lunch when D’Oliveira plucked out Robinson’s middle stump with a direct hit from backward point after confusion between him and Jordan over a single. Robinson made 42 but after lunch Jordan and Wiese took the attack back to their opponents.

Their first 50 runs came from just 41 balls and luck seemed to be running Sussex’s way when Jordan’s mis-timed pull off the indefatigable Cummins dropped just short of D’Oliveira at mid-wicket.

Jordan made 50 off 84 balls while Wiese finished from 70 off 80 deliveries with eight fours and a six, off D’Oliveira but it was Cummins, whose match figures of 12 for 166 were the best of his career, who had the final say.

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