Date-stamped : 30 Jul97 - 11:31 NatWest Trophy: Dashing Rao innings steers Sussex to famous victory By Geoffrey Dean at Derby Sussex (329-5) bt Derbyshire (327-8) by 5 wkts SUSSEX brought off surely the most remarkable one-day victory in their history yesterday, making the highest winning total by a side batting second in this competition. Rajesh Rao, 22, who learnt only in the morning that he was in the side when Neil Lenham pulled out injured, scored played the innings of his life, 158 off 165 balls, al- most single-handedly taking his side into the semi-finals with Glamorgan, Essex and Warwickshire. It was the highest one-day score by a Sussex player. Two years ago, Rao was having trials with Surrey as a leg- spinner who could bat a bit. He went in at No 9 behind Tony Pig- ott, now Sussex`s chief executive, who remembers the games well. "Thank God they didn`t sign him," Pigott said of Rao, who was picked up by Sussex in- stead. The talent that Surrey had missed was evident from very early yesterday in his superlative innings on an equally good pitch. Devon Malcolm had cleaned up Keith Greenfield with the third ball of the innings when Rao walked to the crease, his head shaven un- der a helmet that was soon discarded in favour of a floppy hat. Apparently undaunted by the task facing both him and Sussex, Rao immediately showed what a classy leg-side player he is by re- peatedly hitting Malcolm behind square leg and through mid-on for five fours in his first five overs. At the other end, Bill Athey, timing the ball beautifully, was the perfect foil to the young buccaneer in a 101-run partnership in 21 overs. Rao, whose father played for Uganda, charged to 50 off 47 balls with nine fours. Rao`s second fifty was more measured, in 73 balls, only two of which he hit for four, as Sussex chipped away at their target in a calm, mature fashion. But as the required rate rose to seven off the last 20 overs, Rao went into destructive mode, hitting nine more fours in his final 58 runs, which came off 45 balls. The pacing of his in- nings was worthy of the great one-day players. When Mark Newell was run out in the 37th over with 160 still needed, the odds were strongly in favour of Derbyshire. But Neil Tay- lor`s calmness and experience at this point were of key im- portance. "It was good to have him at the other end," said Rao afterwards. Taylor, pushing ones and twos and punching the odd boundary, moved effortlessly to 48 off 54 balls. Rao did not even make the portly Taylor run too hard between the wickets as the pair added a crucial 110 in 16 overs against indifferent bowling. When both were out by the 54th over with 38 needed, victory seemed assured, but Derbyshire tightened up their bowling to such an extent that 15 were still required off the last two overs. Peter Moores kept his head to hit the winning runs. Derbyshire badly lacked a specialist spinner on a cracked sur- face. Both Kim Barnett and Vince Clarke had a long bowl but es- chewed their leg-spin in favour of some gentle medium pace that was reason- ably tight but lacked penetration. Sussex, by con- trast, had been able to apply a brake to Derbyshire`s momentum through the steady wrist-spin of Amer Khan, whose 12 overs cost only 48. Chris Adams` excellent unbeaten 129 and Derbyshire`s total were their highest in 60-over cricket against first-class op- position. Sussex bowled poorly in the first half of the innings before pulling it round and it was not until the 28th over that a maiden was bowled. Adams arrived in the seventh over when Dominic Cork was bowled offering no shot. The pattern of his innings was set from the very start - few boundaries but a lot of ones and twos. Adams still scored at a quickish rate, finding the gaps and running superbly. He faced 148 balls, hitting eight fours as well as one big six over long-off, off Greenfield. Adams no doubt would have liked to have launched more of an onslaught in the closing overs. But a good spell from Mark Robin- son, who removed Barnett and Gul Khan in successive overs, the latter with a beauty that straightened, left Adams needing to bat right through. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)