Yorkshire continued their charge towards promotion with a deserved four-wicket win over Sussex at Scarborough, completed in an hour’s play on day four.
Chasing a target of 103, Yorkshire resumed on 18-2, needing 75 more. Opener Adam Lyth top-scored with 40 and completed a third-wicket partnership of 51 with night-watchman Dan Moriarty, who contributed an important 17.
They lost four wickets to off-spinner Jack Carson, who finished with a career best 9-120 in the match. But Sussex’s task was just too tall as they fell to a second defeat in 10 matches.
Victory was Yorkshire’s third in a row dating back to June and could see them end the day second-placed in the Division Two table with four rounds remaining.
Their 21-point haul has cut the gap to Division Two leaders Sussex to nine points.
Yorkshire have now won three Vitality County Championship matches in a row for first time since April 2021 when they beat Kent and Sussex away added to Northamptonshire at home.
Lyth set the tone in the day’s third over when he took back-to-back boundaries off Jaydev Unadkat’s left-arm seam – one flicked to fine-leg and the other cut through backward point.
He then pulled Carson over midwicket and cut Ollie Robinson over backward point for sixes in the following two overs, taking the score to 59 for two. The writing was on the wall for Sussex.
They actually started the day minus three on the over-rate, with counties deducted a point for each over they are behind the rate.
So it was no surprise to see Carson employed early by captain John Simpson in a bid to speed things up. Realistically, improving that was their main target for the day, and they achieved it.
Lyth and Moriarty came together at 18 for two late on day three and extinguished Sussex’s slim hopes of a turnaround.
Moriarty, Yorkshire’s regular number 11, was lbw to Carson – 69-3 – before the same bowler had Lyth caught behind down leg at the second attempt by Simpson with a further seven runs added to the total.
Carson also trapped James Wharton lbw to bring Jonny Bairstow to the crease with only eight to win, and he holed out to deep midwicket for a two-ball duck.
Captain Jonny Tattersall hit the winning runs.
Yorkshire face Middlesex at Headingley, starting on Thursday, in their next match.
