Magoffin strikes late to edge Sussex closer to victory (From The Argus)

Magoffin strikes late to edge Sussex closer to victory

5:42pm Thursday 6th September 2012 in Sport By Steve Hollis

Sussex fought back hard with the ball in the evening session as they chase a fifth victory in eight Championship matches against Somerset at Hove.

Somerset had reached 147-0 in pursuit of a target of 396 to win when they lost openers Marcus Trescothick and Arul Suppiah in successive overs.

Trescothick was bowled by Monty Panesar for 71 and Suppiah edged Steve Magoffin to Matt Prior at slip after making 70.

Magoffin also got rid of Chris Jones and nightwatchman Steve Kirby as Somerset lost four wickets for the addition of four runs.

The visitors eventually closed on 155-4, still needing another 241 to secure an unlikely victory.

Sussex can no longer win the Championship after Warwickshire wrapped up the title earlier in the day but a win would improve their chances of finishing as runners-up.

Earlier, Sussex had gone from 182-2 overnight to 308 all out but there was no fairytale century for Murray Goodwin in his final innings at Hove.

Goodwin fell for 77 - his highest score of the season - before receiving a standing ovation from the Hove crowd and being greeted by his children as he walked back to the pavilion.

Chris Nash added 20 to his overnight score before being being caught behind off the bowling of Alfonso Thomas for 126 - still 23 runs short of 1,000 for the season.

Thomas also got rid of Mike Yardy and Ben Brown as he finished with figures of 5-68 and Sussex needed some important runs from Magoffin, James Anyon and Lewis Hatchett to get past 300.