Rana can lead Sussex challenge for the title

The Sussex captain was unstinting in his praise of all his bowlers after the county defeated first division leaders Kent by 66 runs at Canterbury yesterday.

But he was in no doubt that the 27-year-old from Pakistan has given their attack a cutting edge it lacked in the first half of the season.

Naved bowled with genuine aggression throughout to earn match figures of 7-74 and the way both he and Mushtaq Ahmed polished off both Kent innings bodes well for the second half of the summer.

Adams said: "We've needed someone with Rana's aggression for some time. He's someone who bowls at good pace and it's already having an impact on the other guys.

"We know Mushtaq is a magician Rana can lead Sussex challenge for the title who is very difficult to read but Rana puts it in areas which even good batsmen will find very difficult when one minute it's fizzing around your ears and the next it's banged into your toes.

"Him and Mushy seemed to spark off each other and when they are bowling in tandem they will make it difficult for the opposition, especially the lower order."

Kirtley and Jason Lewry remain Adams' preferred opening pair but there is no doubt that Rana is capable of taking the new ball.

But his ability to cut through the lower order, especially when the ball is reversing, has given the attack an extra dimension.

Adams did not underplay the importance of yesterday's win - only Sussex's second of the season - and rightly so.

Defeat would have left them in danger of being cut adrift in the relegation zone and although they are still in the bottom three that statistic is academic as Sussex have a game in hand on three of the teams above them.

Kent stay top but the gap between the victors and the vanquished yesterday is just 20.5 points.

A pitch which was two-paced on the first day deteriorated rapidly. In the end the difference in a hard-fought contest was probably the 30 runs first-innings lead Sussex eeked out and the fact that they outbowled Kent.

Adams said: "The wicket got very inconsistent in bounce and any bowler who was prepared to put some heat on the ball was always going to get something out of it. I was very surprised when they put us in. I think David Fulton felt the wicket would seam around and then flatten out completely.

"But all our attack bowled with a lot of fire in their bellies.

Also, we had a matchwininng stand of 131 between Ian Ward and Murray Goodwin in the first innings and in both Kent's innings we managed to get their tail out very quickly."

Kent began the final day needing another 89 runs but their last four wickets went in 8.2 overs and the contest was over after just 34 minutes.

Min Patel was caught at fine leg off a top-edged pull in Rana's second over then Mushtaq struck in successive overs. Niall O'Brien, Kent's last hope, was caught at silly point and Simon Cook made the fatal mistake of playing back to a top-spinner.

Fittingly, it was left to Rana to apply the killer blow when Amjad Khan lobbed up a simple return catch off an attempted hook.

Director of cricket Peter Moores echoed Adams' belief that his side are genuine title contenders while opener Richard Montgomerie believes the current side is the best balanced he has played in during six years at Hove.

Moores said: "The Championship is definitely there for us to win again.

"You could see in this game how we upped the tempo of everything we did and there's no doubt Rana has brought something extra to our bowling with his pace and aggression."

July 14, 2005