Sussex beaten again by an innings

County Championship D1, Canterbury, day two: Kent 368 bt Sussex 102 & 160 by an inns & 106 runs

Scorecard

Adams saw his team beaten by an innings at Edgbaston last week

Champions Sussex succumbed to their second successive innings defeat, thrashed by an innings and 106 runs on the second afternoon at Canterbury.

Resuming 349 behind at 19-2, they added only seven before all-rounder Yasir Arafat, who scored a century and took 2-6 on day one, struck twice.

Only Chris Nash and Chris Adams reached double figures in a paltry 102 all out.

The second attempt appeared to be faring better at 58-1 but nine wickets fell for 102, Simon Cook claiming 6-35.

It was a remarkable turnaround for the southern rivals, who competed in the opening match of the season at Hove last month.

Sussex won that match by an innings, with Mushtaq Ahmed taking 10 wickets, but their lame batting display ensured they were never in contention at the St Lawrence ground.

Arafat again tormented them with wickets in successive overs at the start of the second day.

Conditions were favourable for seam bowling but there are no excuses Sussex skipper Chris Adams

It was Cook who shone in the second innings, dismissing key batsmen Matt Prior and Chris Adams to end a stand of 55, plus Pakistan seamer Rana Naved, in consecutive overs.

The rangy seamer, in his third season with Kent, recorded his best figures for the county.

"Conditions were favourable for seam bowling but there are no excuses," Sussex captain Adams told BBC Southern Counties Radio.

"We batted extremely poorly and I don't think in the last two Championship games we've applied ourselves in two similar situations.

"It's been the 3rd or 4th seamer who has been our undoing. On our travels this year we are going to find a similar story with these pitches and types of bowling."

Kent's star man Simon Cook told BBC Radio Kent: "I didn't bowl particularly well. A lot of the other guys bowled so much better than me but didn't get the rewards in terms of the wickets.

"So in a way, my wickets have come off the back of their hard work. Cricket's a statistics game, but Yasir Arafat, Ryan McLaren, Robbie Joseph and Darren Stevens were much better."