Mixed fortunes for Sussex on opening day of Second XI T20

Sussex began their defence of the Second XI T20 with a win and a loss against Unicorns at Eastbourne on Wednesday.

In the first game of the day, Sussex cruised to an eight-wicket victory, but Unicorns got their revenge in the afternoon winning a low-scoring affair by three wickets.

A decent all-round bowling performances – led by Sussex’s spinners – saw the Unicorns dismissed for just 78 after winning the toss in the morning game.

Luke Wells took 3-11 in three overs with his leg spin, while there was 2-10 with the new ball for slow left-armer Delray Rawlins and 2-14 for Laurie Evans with his off-spin.

Seamers Abi Sakande and George Garton and leg-spinner Will Beer took a wicket each.

Sussex’s top order only needed a little over half their twenty overs to reach their target, Wells top-scoring with 35 from 27 balls.

After he and Phil Salt (17 off 13) were dismissed, Evans (25* off 19) and Harry Finch (4* off 3) saw Sussex home.

In the second match of the day, Sussex won the toss and elected to bat. The innings never got going after Sussex lost four wickets with the score on 14 and it was left to Rawlins (35 off 31) and Beer (26 off 39) to haul the side to a total of 99-8 off 20 overs.

Sussex’s bowlers didn’t make it easy for the visitors, at one stage reducing Unicorns to 57-5, but Mattie McKiernan (23 off 29) and former Derbyshire seamer Peter Burgoyne (21* off 26) helped them to a  final ball victory.

Beer was the pick of the Sussex bowlers in the second match, taking 3-15 from his four overs. Rawlins and Academy player Will Sheffield took a wicket each.

Scorecards from both matches are available to download below.