STEVE Rhodes says Miguel Cummins lived up to the references of England bowling coach Otis Gibson.

Cummins bagged a 12-wicket haul in Worcestershire’s dramatic 11-run win over Sussex in the Specsavers County Championship Division Two at Hove.

Worcestershire’s director of cricket Rhodes sought the opinion of former West Indies head coach Gibson on Cummins before signing him for the last three matches of the campaign.

The Windies paceman bowled without luck against Essex at Chelmsford but made up for that with a vengeance to keep Worcestershire's hopes alive of claiming runners-up spot - and £43,000 prize money.

Rhodes said: “It was a great game of cricket and a shame there was a loser.

"This is Division Two, believe it or not. You've got some good attacks here. Sussex put out a mighty fine attack with four or five guys from overseas playing against us so it makes it an even better win.

"I think Sussex battled really hard and it was a great stand between Chris Jordan and David Wiese.

"It was a strange wicket because a lot of people got out early and then if you got in, and formed a partnership, it was quite difficult to chisel people out.

"I was really impressed with the way we stuck to our guns and kept going all the way to the end.

"Obviously with Miguel, to get 12 wickets in the game is a mighty fine effort, an amazing effort and he worked hard for them.

"He ran in hard and kept going all the way through and he was all the things Otis Gibson said he would be.

"It was amazing the way it ended with two great catches (by Daryl Mitchell and Brett D'Oliveira) and then seeing the stumps shattered (of Steve Magoffin).

"It was a shame there had to be a loser because both sides went hard and it was a great game of cricket over three days.

"I thought the Jordan-Wiese stand was going to be the crucial stand. We needed a breakthrough and when Wiese took that single with 10 needed, exposing Danny Briggs and Magoffin, I thought that was our chance and Miguel took it in amazing fashion."

Rhodes confirmed that John Hastings will be Worcestershire's main overseas player next summer.

He said: "There is quite a bit of international cricket for West Indies but we've got John Hastings who is coming in.

"When you see Miguel bowl as well this, you always think 'crikey, we'd love to have him on our side' but John is also a tremendous cricketer and great bloke for the dressing room."

D'Oliveira ran out Ollie Robinson with a direct hit from point and pulled off a magnificent catch at square leg to dismiss Briggs.

Rhodes said: "Brett is a great fielder. We all know that. Sometimes when he makes the odd mistake, his head drops a little bit.

"But he doesn't need to because he does some brilliant things for us.

"He is only human, he does make mistakes but when he makes a mistake you are surprised because he is such a good fielder.

"It was a great catch, and a great catch by Daryl (Mitchell) as well, and the run-out of Robinson was a really important wicket because he had got himself in and was looking a bit dangerous."