Captain Wright inspires Sussex Sharks to consecutive Vitality Blast wins

Sussex Sharks captain Luke Wright led by example against Glamorgan, striking 88 from 53 balls, as his team gained their second win from two games to go top of the Southern Group.

It was an impressive all-round performance from Jason Gillespie's men, with Wright and Laurie Evans sharing a match winning partnership of 123 in just 12.4 overs.

Sussex began their innings knowing they needed 174 to win, after Colin Ingram's unbeaten 81 had put the Welsh side in an encouraging position.

Needing to score at 8.6 runs an over, Wright began with a flurry of boundaries, although he lost his opening partner Phil Salt in the fourth over, who, attempting to pull a short ball from Michael Hogan, edged to the wicketkeeper.

Wright remained in confident mood, however, and greeted Graham Wagg by driving him straight for six off his first ball. That stunning shot was soon followed by a rasping cover drive for four, and when Wagg was taken off after one over, he had conceded 16 runs.

The Sussex captain raced to his fifty from only 33 balls, and his team were well placed at the halfway stage on 89 for 1.

Wright was well supported by Evans, who also punished some indifferent bowling from Glamorgan, and at 109 for 1 at the end of the twelfth over, the Sharks were coasting to victory.

Sussex required 41 from the final 5 overs, but there was no respite for the bowlers as Wright drove Ingram and hooked Wagg for sixes, before holing out on the mid-wicket boundary. Evans settled the issue by striking Hogan for two sixes in the 18th over, and there were eight balls remaining when Tom Bruce struck the winning runs.

Glamorgan’s innings was built around a typically aggressive innings from Colin Ingram, and the captain was well supported by David Lloyd, who made 33 - including a straight six off Rashid Khan, who again bowled well and picked up two wickets.

Glamorgan were 59 for 3 after nine overs, after Shaun Marsh had pulled a long hop from Jofra Archer to deep mid- wicket, Usman Khawaja mishit to deep cover, and Aneurin Donald holed out to Khan at long off.

Ingram then accelerated in the final overs, finishing on his impressive 81* off 44 balls, but it was not enough as Sussex conquered their Welsh counterparts to make it consecutive Vitality Blast victories.