By SKIP BANDELE
Sussex romped to their second County Championship in four years, largely thanks to one man. At 36-years-old, Mushtaq Ahmed is considered too old for Test cricket by Pakistan, but remains the most destructive bowler in the county game.
The leg-spinner’s single-handed dismissal of Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge brought his personal Championship wicket tally up to 102 for the season, a rare feat he had previously managed in 2003.
Once Sussex had declared their first innings at 560-5, Mushtaq proceeded to enforce the follow-on by bowling Notts out for 165 with a personal contribution of 4-60. But, better was yet to come. A startling second-innings return of 9-48, a total haul of 13 wickets for the match, condemned the home side to a crushing innings and 245-run defeat. Mushtaq’s mesmerising performance handed Sussex a famous league and cup double that will be long remembered.
Elsewhere, Darren Lehmann ended his Yorkshire career on a high, recording his biggest score ever against Durham. The Australian spent just over eight hours at the crease amassing 339 runs, thus becoming his county’s first triple century-maker since Herbert Sutcliffe struck 313 against Essex at Leyton in 1932.
