BBC SPORT | Cricket | Counties | Irani outshines Sussex all-round

At Chelmsford: Essex 206-9 after 50 overs (2 pts) beat Sussex 120-6 after 30 overs by 20 runs (D/L Method)

Captain Ronnie Irani was the hero at Chelmsford as Essex defeated Sussex in a rain-hit Benson & Hedges Cup match.

Irani 's 47 with the bat led the home side from deep early trouble at 18 for four towards an eventual 206 for nine.

And he then took five wickets, including two in successive balls as the visitors stumbled from a dominant 103 for one, losing the next five wickets for just 11 runs.

Rain began with Sussex 120 for six, preventing any further play and Essex were handed victory by 20 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis method.

Following the early dismissal of wicket-keeper/opener Tim Ambrose for five, Chris Adams joined Richard Montgomerie to put on 88 for the second wicket.

But the Sussex skipper's dismissal, caught by Graham Napier having hit 54 from 77 deliveries, precipitated the collapse.

Murray Goodwin followed next delivery, edging Irani behind and Tony Cottey was caught by Ashley Cowan in the following over.

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John Stephenson, playing his first match back at Essex after a sojourn with Hampshire, had Robin Martin-Jenkins caught behind for two.

And Will House was Irani's fifth victim, taken again by Napier.

Irani's success over-shadowed a five-wicket haul for Sussex pace man James Kirtley, who took three of the first four wickets to fall.

But Irani and new signing Aftab Habib put on 77 for the fifth wicket to pull the home side clear.

And, when the captain edged Michael Yardy behind, Paul Grayson joined the former Leicestershire bat in a stand of 56.

Grayson stood firm with an unbeaten 49, taking a single boundary from his 55 deliveries, in marshalling the tail.

Essex: J P Stephenson, J M Dakin, G R Napier, A Flower (Wkt) R C Irani (Capt), A Habib, A P Grayson, D D J Robinson J D Middlebrook, A P Cowan, A J Clarke.

Sussex: R R Montgomerie, T R Ambrose (Wkt), C J Adams (Capt) M W Goodwin, P A Cottey, R S C Martin-Jenkins, W J House, M H Yardy M J G Davis, R J Kirtley, B V Taylor.

Umpires: A A Jones and N J Llong


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