HEREFORDSHIRE slipped to a disappointing six-run defeat to Sussex Board in the first round of the NatWest Trophy at Colwall on Tuesday.

The county left themselves with just too much to do in pursuit of a winning target of 216 and a valiant effort in the last few overs was not enough to avoid an early exit from the competition.

They were left needing 29 off the last 12 balls and, despite 11 runs in four balls from Nathan Round and a Paul Humphries' four in the penultimate over, it proved unassailable.

Round and Humphries remained unbeaten but only managed a further six runs from the 50th and final over.

The tie had started well for Herefordshire on a damp Colwall pitch when they restricted the visitors to 38-3 in the first 20 overs.

Paul Thomas claimed the first scalp when wicket-keeper Ismail Dawood caught Dominic Clapp, before Australian all-rounder Ross Lupton had George Campbell caught behind and trapped Michael Yardey leg before.

But a stand of 99 between Hugo Southwell and man-of-the-match Kashif Ibrahim, who went on to score 63, helped to propel Sussex Board to 150 in 40 overs and they smashed 65 in the last 10 for a respectable 215.

In reply, Herefordshire skipper Harshad Patel fell for just five at 29-1 and fellow opener Rob Hughes followed to make it 38-2.

However, debutantes Lupton and Dawood rallied and took the score on to 103 before Nick Creed removed Lupton, and Dawood went with just three further runs on the board.

Number five Chris Boroughs stepped up the run rate with 34 off 35 balls but, when he departed to an excellent catch by Steven Ades, Herefordshire were left with a mountain to climb.

Sussex Board: D Clapp c Dawood b Thomas 4, G Campbell c Dawood b Lupton 7, M Yardey lbw Lupton 15, K Ibrahim b Humphries 63, H Southwell c Dawood b Round 36, R Halsall lbw b Round 6, P Stevens c Sylvester b Humphries 23, N Creed not out 5, D Alderman not out 14; extras 42. Total 215-7 (50 overs).

Bowling: P Thomas 10-1-48-1, P Humphries 10-1-29-2, R Lupton 8-1-33-2, A Farooque 10-1-36-0, J Sylvester 4-1-10-0, C Boroughs 3-0-17-0, N Round 5-0-28-2.

Herefordshire: H Patel b Alderman 5, R Hughes b Creed 13, I Dawood run out 39, R Lupton b Creed 24, C Boroughs c Ades b Clapp 34, J Sylvester c Stevens b Clapp 6, A Farooque c Morgan b Clapp 3, N Prabhu st Stevens b Ades 24, P Thomas b Yardey 1, N Round not out 17, P Humphries not out 5; extras 38. Total 209-9 (50 overs).

Bowling: D Alderman 10-3-15-1, K Ibrahim 2-0-8-0, N Creed 8-0-33-2, J Morgan 4-0-17-0, S Ades 10-1-31-1, M Yardey 10-1-46-1, D Clapp 6-0-46-3.