Wild celebrations at Grace Road as County snatch a victory

Leicestershire pulled off an extraordinary victory over sussex in an LV=insurance county championship match that had looked certain to bring the curtain down on the season at Grace road with a tame draw, writes Jon Culley.

After hassan Azad (152) and Lewis hill (145) had turned their hundreds into career-best scores and there was a maiden half-century for Louis Kimber, a declaration at 492 for four gave county a lead of 133, but with leading wicket-taker chris Wright absent through injury, bowling sussex out in the 48 overs that remained looked a long shot, even with Fynn hudson-Prentice unable to bat after breaking a hand in the first innings.

Yet after reaching 117 for three just 16 runs away from wiping out their arrears - an inexperienced sussex side containing five teenagers lost their last six wickets for 11 runs, losing by an innings and five runs with 16 balls left.

callum Parkinson took four for 18 with his left-arm spin and seamer Ben Mike four for 34 as

Leicestershire won by five runs.

Wright, who was awarded his county cap along with hill during the lunch interval, was not risked after feeling a hamstring after the first innings, when his six for 94 took his wickets tally for the season to 46.

sussex remain without a win since beating Glamorgan in the second match of the season and are bottom of Division three, with only a final fixture against next-to-bottom Derbyshire at hove to come as they seek to avoid a first championship wooden spoon since 2000.

resuming at 291 for two following tuesday’s washout after another hour of the game was lost because of a wet outfield, Leicestershire achieved their objective of securing maximum batting points before skipper callum Parkinson called them in.

county’s bowlers chipped away. Ali Orr was caught behind off Parkinson’s left-arm spin, firstinnings centurion Ben Brown hit Ben Mike straight to point, tom haines played across one from ed Barnes and having closed to within 16 of clearing the arrears, sussex unravelled.

rawlins edged behind, Parkinson bowled tom hinley, Oli carter, who had faced 77 balls for his nine, pulled to leg gulley and crocombe was leg before as Mike took two in two. Parkinson then trapped Jack carson in front.

Last wicket pair sean hunt and Joseph sarro - both 19-year-olds survived 30 balls to prolong the agony, but then Parkinson had the latter caught behind to spark wild celebrations.