FRIENDS PROVIDENT TROPHY, GROUP C, Hove
Sussex 313-6 beat Durham 257 by 56 runs(Sussex 2pts, Durham 0pts)

Kirtley's previous one-day best was 5-27 in the 2006 C&G Trophy final

James Kirtley took career-best one-day figures of 6-50 as Sussex beat Durham by 56 runs in the FP Trophy at Hove.

The visitors looked well placed to challenge Sussex's 313-6 as 92 from Phil Mustard guided them to 232-4.

But Kirtley removed Gareth Breese, Dale Benkenstein, Liam Plunkett, Mitchell Claydon and Will Gidman in 17 balls as Durham collapsed to 257 all out.

Earlier, Sussex's total was built around a one-day best score of 127 from ex-England batsman Ed Joyce.

He shared in an opening stand of 110 with Joe Gatting (50) as he went to his second FP Trophy century of the season against Durham, hitting nine fours and two sixes in his 125-ball innings, and was eventually fifth man out at 261-5.

Durham's reply appeared to be going along swimmingly as Mustard shared half-century stands with Michael Di Venuto, Will Smith and Ian Blackwell.

But the run-out of Gordon Muchall for 20 to make the score 232-5 proved crucial as Kirtley then ripped through the rest of the visitors' batting order as Sussex sealed victory with 19 balls to spare.

It was their third-straight victory in Group C and lifts then to second ahead of Friday's clash with unbeaten Gloucestershire.

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