Berkshire vs Sussex Sharks

Berkshire vs Sussex Sharks: Match Report

Sussex Sharks continued their preparations for this year’s Metro One Day Bank Cup with a 148-run victory over Berkshire at Slough. 

Sussex skipper John Simpson won the toss and elected to bat but Berkshire made the most of the early conditions, as seamer And Rishton dismissed both Tom Haines (4) and Tom Clark (14) to peg back the visitors on a rain interrupted morning. 

Having been off for rain on two occasions, the game was subsequently reduced to a 47-over match, with Oli Carter and Dan Ibrahim eventually returning to the crease with the Sharks on 62-2 from 13 overs. 

Both products of the Sussex Cricket Pathway batted well in tandem, with the pair both making half-centuries and putting on a 117-run third wicket stand before Ibrahim was eventually dismissed for 56 from 60 deliveries to leave the Sharks on 156-3 from 27.3 overs. 

Carter was next to fall after quickly making his way to 78, a knock that included six 4s and two 6s. 

Those dismissals then meant Sussex Rookie’s Zack Lion-Cachet and Henry Rogers were out in the middle and both seemed set on scoring quickly.

Lion-Cachet raced to 31 from just 22 balls including two 4s and 1 six, before he was bowled by Sully Akhtar. 

Henry Rogers (51) and John Simpson (50) both scored quickly for their half-centuries, before brief cameos from Foreman, Lenham, Campbell and Hunt took the Sharks to 334 all-out from their 47 overs.

In response, Berkshire lost two wickets of their own early on. The Sharks opened the bowling with two left-armers at either end, Sean Hunt, and recent signing, Jack Campbell, who was making his debut appearance for the First Team.

Campbell had an immediate impact, finding the edge twice in the same over to leave Berkshire 26-2 from just his second over in his opening spell. He then followed up with a third wicket to further reduce Berkshire to 69-4.

The Berkshire middle-order then began to show some resistance, Dan Lincoln (28) and Matt Dalrymple (19) shared a stand of 36, only for the pair to fall in quick succession.

That meant the hosts were 6 down with 109 on the board at the halfway point of their innings. 

Seamer Andy Rishton provided some much-needed resistance down the order with the bat, making a rapid 44 from 28 before being bowled by Tom Clark, but once he was gone Berkshire’s task looked perilous. 

Opener Rhys Lewis had retired hurt earlier in the game, meaning the Sharks only needed one more to secure victory and it was picked up Clark. 

Photo Credit: Saud Ahmed