FRIENDS PROVIDENT t20, Hove:
Middlesex 143-5 beat Sussex 140-9 by five wickets
Match scorecard

Middlesex fast bowler Murtagh took his three wickets all in the same over

Middlesex claimed victory over Sussex with just four balls to spare after Tim Murtagh and Tyron Henderson set them on their way with three wickets apiece.

Sussex reached 140-9 from their 20 overs, Ollie Rayner hitting an unbeaten 41 off 29 balls.

But it proved to be not quite enough score after Owais Shah (34) and Scott Newman (30) led the visitors' reply.

Neil Dexter (20no) and a Twenty20-best 11 from James Kirtley made sure of the visitors' win as they ended on 143-5.

Despite still leading the South Group, Sussex have now suffered three home defeats in this season's competition and have only won one of their last four matches.

Their latest loss saw Ed Joyce make his fourth single-figures score in six Twenty20 innings.

He was one of Murtagh's three wickets in an over to leave the hosts struggling on 26-3.

Middlesex's win keeps alive the 2008 winners' hopes of a quarter-final slot, ahead of Sunday's trip to take on Somerset at Taunton.

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