Sussex are in the thick of the promotion chase in division two of the Specsavers County Championship after completing a season’s double over Worcestershire on the third day at New Road.

Having made the home side follow-on 162 behind, they bowled them out again for 170 with David Wiese taking the first three wickets and Jofra Archer blitzing the lower order with three dismissals in five balls.

Sussex lost Luke Wells in clearing off nine runs for a nine-wicket victory – their fourth in five games.

It was a potentially pivotal result in a contest seen by the Sussex camp as their biggest to date this season against the team occupying the second promotion berth.

If they are now the upwardly mobile team, it is Worcestershire who have hit the buffers. After starting the season with four victories, they have won only one of the last six.

Momentum was first surrendered with an innings defeat at Hove in June and there was never much chance they would turn the tables here after conceding a first innings total of 430.

In their current form, Sussex are not a team to let opportunities to slip by. Even a 90-minute rain delay on the third day was scant inconvenience.

They took 12 wickets on the third day, enforcing the follow-on in the process, to complete the job in ruthless style.

Wiese took 3-35 in the second innings and Archer 3-39.

Sussex are now joint third,  17 points behind Worcestershire with a match in hand.

Their four-day programme resumes against Glamorgan at Colwyn Bay, from August 28.