Sussex have opened up a clear lead over their first division rivals after routing Durham in just five sessions to claim their fourth Championship win in five games.

On a difficult Riverside pitch, Robin Martin-Jenkins held together Sussex's reply with 49 to give them a first innings lead of 109.

Just how important a contribution that was became evident when Mushtaq Ahmed took three wickets in four balls in his first over after Durham openers Jon Lewis and Australian Jimmy Maher had put on 47 without too many problems.

Rana Naved's new ball spell had been expensive by his standards as he bowled five wicketless overs for 32 runs.

But skipper Chris Adams whipped him back into the attack once Mushtaq had made the breakthrough and between them the Pakistani stars wreaked havoc, sharing the spoils as Durham lost all ten wickets for 33 runs and were bowled out for just 80.

Sussex completed victory by an innings and 39 runs by 4.30pm on the second day and were heading home today for two unexpected days off after enjoying a team meal and a few drinks last night.

Cricket manager Mark Robinson pinpointed the dismissal of Maher as the turning point.

Attempting a full-blooded cut at Mushtaq, Maher got a thick edge and Adams took a sensational catch at slip even by his high standards.

"That changed the game," said Robinson. "Durham were batting well but Luke Wright and Robin Martin-Jenkins had come on to dry up the runs after they had got a bit of a flier and they didn't have much answer to Mushy.

"Everyone will talk about Mushy and Rana again and rightly so because they were sensational. But from a coach's view I was just as pleased with the way Robin batted. Those runs were crucial in the context of what followed."

Mushtaq took 5-12 for a match return of 10-37, the ninth ten-for of his Sussex career.

Rana had 9-70 in the match. His 5-42 yesterday included a burst of 5-10 from 4.1 overs which wrecked Durham's lower order. The destructive duo have now taken 65 Championship wickets between them with Rana on 33, one more than his compatriot.

Durham had little difficulty in reducing the deficit to 72 with all wickets intact before Mushtaq made his presence felt.

The hosts seemed determined not to let him dominate but after Maher departed Gordon Muchall went well forward to the next ball and was given out lbw to bag a pair.

Gary Pratt survived the hat-trick ball but then attempted a sweep and top-edged it to mid-wicket.

Durham clearly had no idea how to cope with Mushtaq's well-flighted variety of leg-spinners and googlies.

Rana returned and had Dale Benkenstein caught at slip as he fenced at a ball just outside off stump. In Rana's next over Gareth Breese edged to second slip then Phil Mustard stepped across his stumps and was plumb in front.

Jon Lewis, who had started very fluently and was on 25 when the first wicket fell, was seventh out for 28 when he advanced to drive Mushtaq and was stumped by Matt Prior.

When Rana then produced a fast, swinging yorker to take out Ottis Gibson's off pole, batsmen three to eight had mustered 13 runs between them.

Graham Onions became the second stumping victim before Rana pinned Mick Lewis lbw to finish Durham off.

The only consolation for Durham, and England, was some impressive bowling in the morning from Steve Harmison.

Since returning to first-class action at Trent Bridge last week he had figures of 0-76 in 21 overs but yesterday he took 4-19 in 11 to leave no doubt about his readiness for an England return. Murray Goodwin fell to Harmison for 42, edging low to wicketkeeper Mustard, who then caught Prior off a ball which bounced steeply.

Adams drove Harmison through the covers for four but then played round a ball of almost yorker length to be lbw. Harmison returned after lunch and forced Mushtaq to fend to gully before Martin-Jenkins was last out, leg before to Graham Onions.

Durham had half a point deducted for a slow over rate.

The only slight concern for Sussex is their batting unit has yet to truly fire this season, although Robinson is convinced they will once they encounter a decent surface.

The best batting pitch so far was at Headingley three weeks ago when Sussex scored more than 300 for only the second time this season in their first innings against Matthew Hoggard and Jason Gillespie.

Once they bat on a good deck they would clearly back themselves to bowl out any side twice with the two best bowlers in the country, for three more games at least, in tandem.