FRIENDS PROVIDENT TROPHY QUARTER-FINAL, Taunton:
Sussex 288-4 beat Somerset 285-8 by six wickets

Yardy was the architect of Sussex's successful run-chase

Sussex won with five balls to spare as they beat Somerset to make the last four of the Friends Provident Trophy.

After Murray Goodwin (93) and Ed Joyce (74) had laid the foundations, captain Mike Yardy saw his side home on 288-4.

Earlier, South African duo Craig Kieswetter (106) and Zander de Bruyn had laid the foundations for Somerset's 285-8 in a 167-run fourth-wicket stand.

Following their six-wicket Taunton win, Sussex, winners in 2006, now face the prospect of a home semi on 5 July.

In Saturday night's draw, they were paired with the winners of the delayed quarter-final between Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire, which now takes place on 15 June.

But things might have been different, had Somerset taken their chances.

Yardy could have been run out by Justin Langer before scoring. And then, at the death, de Bruyn dropped Rory Hamilton-Brown at deep cover off the first ball of the 48th over with 27 runs still needed.

Sussex could, have said the same, as James Kirtley dropped home wicket keeper Kieswetter at first slip before he had scored.

But it was Goodwin who proved the man of the match, scoring his 93 at just over a run a ball, with eight fours, sharing two stands of 89, first with Joyce and then with Yardy to keep Sussex chasing around seven an over.

SUSSEX'S KNOCKOUT RECORD Gillette Cup winners, 1963, 1964, 1978 NatWest Trophy winners, 1986 Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy winners, 2006

It rose to eight at one point and Somerset sensed a chance when, with 33 still needed, Goodwin was trapped lbw by a slower ball from Peter Trego.

But, after De Bruyn's dropped catch, Yardy played a key role, helping Hamilton-Brown finish the game with a flourish.

Earlier, there had been a stunned silence around the County Ground when Marcus Trescothick drove the first ball of the game from Kirtley in the air straight to Robin Martin-Jenkins at mid-off. And Somerset would have been 0-2 had Kirtley held the chance offered by Kieswetter.

James Hildreth never looked entirely comfortable in making 14 off 30 balls before falling lbw to Martin-Jenkins and it was 39-3 when the decision to promote Ben Phillips in the order backfired as he was bowled by a full-length ball from Yasir Arafat.

From then on it was all about Kieswetter and De Bruyn, who put together a sensible and at times exhilarating partnership of 167 in 30 overs.

But, in the end, on a day of approaching 600 runs on a Taunton track that has traditionally been a high-scoring one, it was Sussex who kept their nerve.

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