Dinesh Mongia slammed an unbeaten 92 off 93 balls and also snared two wickets to guide Leicestershire to a five-wicket victory over Sussex in a Totesport League second division cricket match.
Chasing 187 for victory against the league leaders at Grace Road on Sunday, Leicestershire lost the wickets of Darren Robinson, Darren Maddy and Hylton Ackerman early on but the Indian batsman steered his side to the target with seven balls to spare.
Mongia had his share of luck though when he was dropped by Murray Goodwin at point off Robin Martin-Jenkins when he was on 42. Leicestershire were floundering on 111 for five at that time.
These were welcome runs for Mongia who had scored just one run in his last three innings in the competition. He was ably supported by Paul Nixon, who scored 26 not out and shared an unbroken stand of 88 with the Indian batsman.
On a slow pitch that offered early assistance to seam bowlers, Sussex, on winning the toss and batting, had hauled themselves back from 44 for four thanks to a fifth wicket partnership of 72 between Carl Hopkinson and Michael Yardy, who made his second fifty of the season. But their total was never enough and they slipped to their third consecutive defeat.
However, they are still at the top of the second division table in the Totesport League with Leicestershire and Durham tied at the second spot.
Sussex have also risen to the top of the Frizzell County Championship this week.
