Blast from the past: Dwayne Smith

On the day that tickets go on sale for Sussex Sharks’ most eagerly anticipated T20 campaign in a decade, who better to look at in our Blast from the past feature than Sussex’s man of the tournament from the victorious 2009 campaign...

DWAYNE SMITH

Appearances: 13

Runs: 338

Average: 33.80

Highest: 69*

Wickets: 8

Average: 20.62

Economy: 6.87

Best: 3-19

The Bajan had first played for Sussex in the year before, when he was drafted in as an overseas replacement for the injured Mushtaq Ahmed. The less said about the 2008 twenty20 Cup the better: Sussex recorded just two wins. Smith, however, showed enough of his ability to warrant an second invite to the south coast the following season.

With the bat, it was all or nothing for Smith during the 2009 campaign. He was the Shark with both the most runs and the most ducks. When it was ‘all’, Smith was irresistible, as testified by a tournament strike rate of 127.

Bowlers beware!

In the group stages, he hit scores in the 60s away at Hampshire and against Kent at Hove, chipping in with 20s and 30s in matches versus Essex, Surrey, Middlesex and Hampshire again.

The then  27-year-old’s greatest performance came in the final, where a merciless assault on the Somerset bowlers brought him 59 runs off 26 balls and a place in Sussex folklore. That innings included ten boundaries – three of them sixes – and set Sussex up for a total of 172-7 that proved well beyond the opposition.

Sipping from the cup of victory.

Smith delivered one over in that final (conceding just three runs), but he was one of a number of all-rounders in the Sussex side that ensured his captain always had a multitude of bowling options – a huge factor in the team’s success that year.

Smith gave very little away with the ball.

His best performance with the ball came in the eight-wicket drubbing of Essex at Chelmsford. Smith’s 3-19 blew away the top-order and condemned Essex to a well below-par total. He picked up big wickets elsewhere in the group stage, but by the end of the tournament his main contribution came in providing Sussex with one or two tight overs in the middle of the innings – leaving him plenty of energy for his onslaughts with the bat.

Given Smith’s role in the 2009 trophy win, it was no surprise when he was welcomed back to Hove in both 2010 and 2013.

A worth man of the match

Tickets for all seven of Sussex Sharks’ Vitality Blast group matches at The 1st Central County Ground, Hove are ON SALE NOW and can be purchased online or by phone on 0844 264 0202.

The Blast from the past promotion offering adult tickets for the match against Surrey on Friday 13th July at 2009 prices will then be available until the end of March.

An even better value way to catch that match and the rest of Sussex’s home group games is the T20 Blast Pass, which provides adult entry for the equivalent of £14.14 per match. For more details click here.