WORCESTERSHIRE suffered their first Specsavers County Championship Division Two defeat of the season after Sussex wrapped up an innings victory at Hove.

The home seam attack took advantage of a pitch offering plenty of uneven bounce on the final day to dismiss Worcestershire for 260 50 minutes after lunch and complete their second win of the season by an innings and seven runs.

Sussex looked like winning a lot earlier after taking two wickets in the first five overs as Worcestershire resumed on 124-4 still needing 143 runs to make their opponents bat again.

Vernon Philander produced a brute of a ball that climbed and left Ben Cox (3) which the batsman touched to second slip.

Worcestershire had added just four runs to their overnight score when they lost their sixth wicket as Jofra Archer, generating good pace from the sea end, nipped one back onto night-watchman Josh Tongue’s off stump.

Worcestershire were 128-6 at that stage but seventh-wicket pair Ross Whiteley and Ed Barnard frustrated Sussex for the rest of the morning session as they added 79 in 25 overs.

Whiteley was twice reprieved by Sussex skipper Chris Nash at second slip, first off Philander and then Archer, and both batsmen were struck on the body by short-of-a-length deliveries which rose sharply.

With rain forecast Worcestershire began the afternoon session confident of saving the game but in the first over after the resumption Stiaan van Zyl drew Barnard (21) forward and a thin edge was taken by wicketkeeper Michael Burgess.

Whiteley went to 50 from 102 balls with eight fours but after adding three more runs his brave resistance ended when David Wiese, armed with the new ball, cut one back off the seam to find the edge.

Philander cleverly held one back and Joe Leach (23) drove to mid-on and the South African secured victory when he had Jack Shantry (11) held at second slip.

Sussex took 23 points and Worcestershire four as the hosts looked to claw back the early advantage established by Nottinghamshire and Kent at the top of the table.