All-rounder Delray Rawlins claimed three wickets and held three catches as Sussex booked an automatic semi-final spot after finishing top of group A in the Royal London One Day Cup, thanks to a 157-run win over Middlesex at the 1st Central County Ground in Hove yesterday.

Sussex posted a record 400 for four from their 50 overs with big centuries from opener Tom Alsop, who scored a career-best 189 not out, and captain Cheteshwar Pujara, who contributed 132, his third century in four innings.

The pair put on 240 for the third wicket in carrying the score from 95 for two to 335 in 27 overs. Pujara departed in the 45th over, bringing Rawlins to the crease at No 5. The left-hander, trying to accelerate the scoring in the last few overs, was out two overs later, bowled for 14 after hitting two fours.

In the last 3.4 overs, Sussex produced 47 more runs to reach the 400-run milestone for the first time in a one-day match, thanks to Alsop’s late hitting which helped the team post a massive 249 runs in the last 20 overs. Alsop finished with 19 fours and five sixes in 226 minutes at the crease when he faced 155 balls.

Pujara had a good strike rate, too, scoring his 132 runs off 90 balls, with 20 fours and two sixes in 126 minutes at the crease as Middlesex were left to regret their decision to send Sussex in to bat.

The Sussex total was also their highest against Middlesex, beating the 333 for four they scored in a match at Hove last year.

In the field, Rawlins gave another good performance with the ball, taking three wickets for 61 from 9.1 overs as Middlesex were dismissed in 38.1 overs.

Rawlins sealed the win for Sussex by having tailender Max Harris caught by Ali Orr for the last wicket. Young seamer Henry Crocombe claimed three late wickets in his second spell to finish with three for 33 from seven overs.

Rawlins also held three catches in the winning cause, including a catch to dismiss top scorer Joe Cracknell who scored 71 off 73 balls at No 3.

Middlesex, second in the tables going into the match, were outplayed as Sussex finished top of the group with six wins in eight matches to secure a home semi-finals next Tuesday against the winners of Nottinghamshire and Lancashire who play in a quarter-final match on Friday.

Hampshire, who won group B, will also host a semi-final next Tuesday when they play the winners of the other quarter-final on Friday between Leicestershire and Kent.

Middlesex missed out on reaching the quarter-finals by run-rate to Nottinghamshire after they finished tied on ten points along with a third team, Gloucestershire.