Durham begin UAE trip with victory over Sussex

Half-centuries by Michael di Venuto and Dale Benkenstein helped Durham warm up for their four-day clash against the MCC in Abu Dhabi next week with a comfortable 33-run win over Sussex in the Emirates Airline Forty40 at the Zayed Stadium.

Chasing Durham's seemingly modest 224 for 6, built around Di Venuto's 51 and 61 by Benkenstein, Sussex lost two wickets in the opening over of their reply and never seriously threatened the target thereafter, capitulating for 191 to lose with 11 balls in hand.

Fresh from shock defeats to part-timers Fly Emirates and rookie South African side the Emerging Cape Cobras, Michael Yardy's side made a poor start to their pursuit at 5.63 an over by losing both openers in the space of six balls. Michael Thornely fenced at a length ball from Mitchell Claydon to be caught behind by debutant keeper Michael Richardson, then five balls later Joe Gatting chanced a second run on an overthrow to mid off and lost the race against Will Smith's throw to the strikers' end.

Ben Brown committed another costly blunder when he pushed one from Will Gidman and set off, only for Smith to take aim at the non-striker's stumps and run Brown out with a direct hit. Sussex fought back through Yardy (37) and Ragheb Aga (18) with a determined fourth-wicket stand of 52 in 11 overs, but the introduction of spin at both ends sent Sussex tail-spinning toward defeat.

Young legspinner Scott Borthwick pegged back Yardy's off stump after the left-hander missed an attempted dab to third man then Aga's reverse lap against Gareth Breese looped to short third man. The run-chase effectively ended when Robin Martin-Jenkins ran past another well-flighted delivery from Gareth Breese to gift Richardson a stumping.

Sussex keeper Andrew Hodd, playing solely as a batsman, helped save face with a bright 48 at almost a run-a-ball as he and Ollie Rayner added 55 before, in the first over of their batting Powerplay, Hodd chipped a simple catch to deep square and then Chad Keegan slogged to cow corner as the last three Sussex wickets went down for 11.

Durham's workmanlike total relied heavily on the experience of di Venuto and Benkenstein, who took a no frills approach to scoring their first fifties of pre-season on a flat, yet sluggish pitch. Each hit six boundaries in helping their side lay solid, if unspectacular foundations.

Captain Smith chipped in with a composed 31 from 41 balls while left-hander Mark Stoneman chanced his arm to add 43, but should have gone on 1, only to see slip fielder Rayner grass a dipping chance at off the luckless James Kirtley.

Monty Panesar finished wicketless from a six-over stint that cost 38 leaving Keegan as the pick of the attack for a Sussex side who will spend their seven-hour flight home to the UK reflecting on three defeats in as many starts during their visit to the UAE.