Yardy keeps Sussex in final contention

Cork, 38 in a fortnight, rolled back the years to take three early wickets - including Ed Joyce and England wicketkeeper Matt Prior - before taking a fourth later in the showpiece where south-coast bragging rights were at stake.

Yardy's response was to move himself up the order and he struck 92 not out in Sussex's total of 219 for nine in their 50 overs.

Yardy won the toss and was expecting to set a big total rather than seeing Cork grab the initiative with a spell of three wickets for six runs in 11 balls.

First to go was Joyce, who attempted to leave a delivery but chopped onto his stumps, bringing Prior to the crease.

Prior was back at the ground where he helped defeat Australia earlier in the week but it was not a pleasant return - he survived a huge leg-before shout for his first ball and edged behind to Nic Pothas with his second. Cork's manic celebrations suggested that Hampshire felt they had Sussex's key man, with Prior the only member of the Ashes team to play between the second and third Tests.

Chris Nash's scruffy innings was ended when Cork trapped him lbw, with Hampshire's momentum continuing. The onus was then on Yardy and Murray Goodwin to steady the innings but the latter was dismissed for just a single when Chris Tremlett was accurate with a direct hit, leaving Sussex 43 for four.

Tremlett then picked up his first wicket to end a mini-revival led by Yardy and Luke Wright. They had put on 34 before Wright was bowled after Tremlett's ball found the inside edge and a boot before clipping the top of middle stump.

Dwayne Smith came to the middle and got Sussex over the 100-run mark but his innings of 20, off as many balls, came to an end when he top-edged a pull to gift Imran Tahir his first wicket.

Yardy's half-century at least gave Sussex hope, just like he did in 2006. He was helped by Rory Hamilton-Brown (32) before he was dismissed by Tahir, with Cork taking his fourth wicket later in the innings when Robin Martin-Jenkins was caught.