COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, New Road:
Worcestershire 201-9 dec & 306-6 beat Sussex 237 & 264-4 dec by four wickets
Worcestershire 20 pts, Sussex 4 pts
Match scorecard

Zimbabwean Cameron was playing his first match as an opening batsman

Worcestershire sealed promotion back to the top flight with an unlikely final day four-wicket win over Division Two champions Sussex at New Road.

Sussex, who began the day on 102-2, played ball by declaring on 264-4.

That set the home side a target of 301 in 70 overs, which they made largely thanks to a 215-run third-wicket stand between Moeen Ali and James Cameron.

Moeen made 115, while Cameron hit 105, his maiden first-class century, as Worcestershire got home on 306-6.

With Glamorgan falling short against Derbyshire at Cardiff, that earned another quick return to Division One for Steve Rhodes' side - an amazing effort, given the drain of big name talent they lost at the end of last season when, just a year on from the hole left by Graeme Hick's retirement, they saw Stephen Moore leave for Lancashire, Kabir Ali join Simon Jones at Hampshire and lost Gareth Batty and Steven Davies to Surrey.

It was a smash-and-grab final day victory that sealed it for Worcestershire, who then had to wait just over an hour for confirmation of their return to Division One - a fourth promotion in seven years for the yoyoing Midlanders.

Century-makers Cameron, in his first match as an opener, and Moeen made light of securing a third win in the four games since Vikram Solanki resigned and passed the captaincy to Daryl Mitchell.

At that point, in the wake of their defeat to Glamorgan at Colwyn Bay on the not so glorious 12th of August, Worcestershire looked rank outsiders, trailing the Welshmen by 37 points.

But they have rallied superbly under Mitchell's command over the final month. And, although they were given a helping hand over the line by a Sussex side who were only too happy to make a game of it, this young side deserved their big day.

There was a hiccup when, following his introduction into the attack, Monty Panesar's third ball trapped Mitchell lbw on the back pad, giving the left-arm spinner his 50th Championship wicket in his first season with Sussex. And, soon after lunch, Yasir Arafat got one to lift, which Solanki edged to second slip.

But Zimbabwe-born Cameron, who only joined the county this season from grade cricket in Western Australia, had the confidence to go down the pitch to drive Panesar for two of his three sixes, also hitting 14 fours before he took one risk too many, attempting to slog-sweep the England spinner.

In a partnership of left handers, Moeen survived more than one alarm, notably a top edge off Panesar which dropped between wicketkeeper and short leg, before he skied a hook off Arafat.

And Worcestershire then lost Shakib Al Hasan and Gareth Andrew before Alexei Kervezee finished it in style, driving Panesar for six to take his side over the line with still 14.5 overs to spare.

That all came on the back of some rather uglier cricket earlier in the day when Luke Wright and Andrew Hodd were allowed to put on 115 in 9.2 overs before the visitors closed their second innings.

606: DEBATE That run chase finishes off what has been a season full of surprises for Worcs hickysbat

Overnight pair Murray Goodwin (63) and Ben Brown (37) had taken their partnership to 90 against a front-line attack and Wright was on 26 when the home side switched to their occasional bowlers.

Kervezee conceded 63 from 4.3 overs in his first spell in the Championship, as Wright carted nine fours and seven sixes in an unbeaten 94 from 56 balls before Goodwin made his declaration.

Given that neither side had made 250 in their first innings, it was far from a gift when Sussex's acting captain Goodwin then set Worcestershire the highest total of the match at more than four runs an over. But, in practice, Sussex did not bowl well enough and Worcestershire enjoyed some luck in getting through the first hour for the loss of just two wickets.

Worcestershire coach Steve Rhodes told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"I'm delighted for the lads, all the staff and everyone involved.

"At the start of the season, everyone expected us to finish bottom, including the bookies.

"I just wanted to be around the top four going into September to give ourselves the chance of making a charge.

"We've got a very young, inexperienced side who have been pulled through at times by two of our senior bowlers with some fantastic effort.

"The chances of us going up were slim but I've always felt that a good spirit in the dressing room is massive and can win you games of cricket. And it's great for us to have joined a very good Sussex side at the top of the tree. I'm very proud of the boys."

Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"The lads in the dressing room need to take the credit. They have put in some great performances in the course of my short reign and I'm proud of them.

"Maybe sometimes a fresh voice can make a difference, but I learned all my skills under Vikram and have learned a lot from him. And, don't forget, we put in some great efforts under him throughout the season.

"We have to say a little bit of a thankyou to Sussex but, at the start of our innings, they were still the favourites. I was actually looking for a little less to chase than that. But it was an unbelievable from Moeen and Jimmy. He's definitely put himself forward to open next season."

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