County Championship: Sussex beat Essex by 47 runs

Sussex beat Essex by 47 runs in the Rothesay County Championship, Division One, at Chelmsford on day four. Sussex finished with 275 and 230, with Coles scoring 79 and Akhter taking 4-51. Essex replied with 177 and 271, but fell short as Critchley made 96 and Essex’s final chase failed, despite needing 132 for an unlikely win at the start of the day. Matt Critchley, who had 838 Championship runs to his name, resisted for more than three hours before being dismissed when he popped up a catch to slip off James Coles. Shane Snater added 35, including two sixes, but Essex were bowled out. The victory lifts Sussex clear of relegation worries, while Essex remain in trouble.