COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Arundel:
Sussex 389 & 52-2 beat Gloucestershire 307 & 131 by eight wickets
Sussex 22pts, Gloucestershire 5pts
Match scorecard

Panesar took his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket since May 2008

Monty Panesar turned in his best performance in over two years to help Sussex beat Gloucestershire.

The England spinner took 5-44 as the visitors were bowled out for 131, of which Hamish Marshall made 89 not out.

Sussex, who had earlier moved from 314-6 overnight to 389 all out, for a lead of 82, then knocked off the runs to win by eight wickets on 52-2.

Robin Martin-Jenkins added just five to make 78, missing a century in his last first-class game before retirement.

Panesar's return was his best analysis since England's second Test victory over New Zealand in May 2008.

Almost a year to the day since his heroics with the bat helped England save the first Ashes Test in Cardiff, Panesar took advantage of a wearing pitch to earn match figures of 8-114.

Panesar was well supported by off-spinner Ollie Rayner, who took 3-24. But Gloucestershire folded abysmally under pressure, losing their last seven wickets for 52 in just 16 overs.

Sussex lost both openers before passing their target of 50 in 11 overs to go five points clear of Gloucestershire at the top in their bid for a quick return to Division One.

Earlier, Sussex's last four wickets had added a further 75 runs, Martin-Jenkins failing to bow out with a third century of the season in his last Championship appearance when he was caught at second slip.

Yasir Arafat contributed his first half-century of the season, while left-arm spinner Vikram Banerjee picked up 5- 94, his second five-wicket haul of the season.

Panesar then responded, striking in his first over when his arm ball deceived Jonathan Batty.

Gloucestershire had already lost Kadeer Ali, one of five batsmen to get ducks, lbw playing no shot to Arafat.

Chris Dent then drove to second slip only for Marshall and Alex Gidman to lead a brief recovery from 27-3, with a stand of 52.

But, when Gidman was superbly caught at short leg by Michael Thornely off Rayner, Gloucestershire's innings nose-dived.

Panesar defeated Chris Taylor's sweep, had James Franklin taken at short leg and Jon Lewis at slip before claiming his fifth wicket when Banerjee fatally played back to a ball which scuttled through.

At the other end it often appeared as if Marshall was involved in a different game, playing some superb back-foot shots off the spinners, hitting 15 fours in 126 balls but there was negligible support at the other end.

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