London: Former Pakistani leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed bowled defending champions Sussex to the County Championship title at Hove on Saturday.
Mushy had the match figures of 13-225 as Sussex thrashed Worcestershire by an innings and 14 runs at Hove.
But they then had to wait over four and a half hours to learn the outcome of Lancashire's game against Surrey before the celebrations could begin.
Lancashire needed to score 489 to beat Surrey and win the title outright for the first time since 1934, produced a magnificent effort before falling 25 runs short.
Sussex's game had finished just before lunch when Worcestershire were all out for 305 despite a stand of 117 between Moeen Ali (85) and Gareth Batty (84).
The pair added 54 to an overnight toal of 190 for 5, with Batty confidently hitting Mushtaq away over long-off for six as he went to a 75-ball half century.
But the Pakistani eventually made the breakthrough when Moeen missed an attempted sweep and was bowled.
Moeen's cousin Kabir was next man in and he also proved difficult to dislodge, contributing 23 to a stand with Batty before attempting an over-ambitious stroke and losing his leg stump to seamer Robin Martin-Jenkins.
Worcestershire's resistance was all but ended when Batty, having hit four sixes and nine fours, was lured down the track by Mushtaq and stumped by Andrew Hodd.
Richard Jones was next to go, caught at slip by Sussex skipper Chris Adams for two off Mushtaq, who then had Nadeem Malik taken by short leg Carl Hopkinson to finish with 7-132 and claim his 90th victim of another magnificent season.
Brief Scores: Sussex 532 all out (Martin Jenkins 99, Nash 89, Chris Adams 74, Yardy 52, Liddle 53; Mitchell 3 for 50, Kabir Ali 3 for 79, Malik 2 for 103) beat Worcestershire 213 all out (Mitchell 70, Moore 48, Davies 31; Mushtaq 6 for 93, Lewry 3 for 44) and 305 all out ( Moeen Ali 85, Gareth Batty 84; Mushtaq 7 for 132, Martin Jenkins 2 for 41) by an innings and 44 runs.
Agencies
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