Our route to the 2006 C&G Trophy final

All week, we're taking our fans back to 2006 to relive the C&G Trophy final, ahead of our #ReSwim this Sunday. Today, we're looking back on our route to Lord's...

Sussex began their 2006 C&G Trophy campaign with an impressive five-wicket win over Surrey at The Oval.

The hosts won the toss and opted to bat first, and made a positive start with openers Jonathan Batty and James Benning putting on 83 for the first wicket.

However, when Benning was eventually dismissed by Luke Wright for 47, and Batty fell for 53 soon after following good work from Robin Martin-Jenkins and Carl Hopkinson, Sussex began to take wickets more regularly.

Mark Butcher was the next to fall, caught and bowled by Michael Yardy for 53, and Surrey’s final five batsmen added just 23 runs between them with Naved-ul-Husan taking three wickets in that time.

Sussex were set 273 to win, but the chase got off to a disastrous start with Richard Montgomerie caught behind for 0 off four balls and Matt Prior out for six.

Captain Chris Adams could only steady the ship slightly with 28, but his dismissal at the hands of Tim Murtagh saw Yardy and Murray Goodwin join each other at the crease – and they quickly got to work.

After Sussex’s early troubles, the duo looked imperious together, with Goodwin racing to 89 and Yardy unbeaten on 98 – surpassing his previous best List A score of 88.

The Zimbabwean was eventually bowled by Benning, but Yardy was there at the end to hit the winning boundary and see his side home with ten balls to spare. Read a full scorecard here.

Sussex’s first home game of the 2006 C&G Trophy saw them face Middlesex at Hove, and they made it two wins from two in convincing fashion.

In a match that was reduced to 40-overs per side before play began, Chris Adams won the toss and put the Lord’s-based team into bat first, with Paul Weekes making an early half-century.

Mushtaq Ahmed eventually got the better of him, however, before the wickets of Ed Smith, Chris Silverwood and Ed Joyce all fell in quick succession, as Naved-ul-Husan continued his impressive form from The Oval and left Middlesex floundering.

Owais Shah’s 82 off as many balls was vital, and the visitors eventually set Sussex 201 to win.

Richard Montgomerie got the second innings off to a great start with a four off the first ball, and looked solid at the crease throughout his innings to score 72 off 102 balls.

The Sussex opener received excellent support from Murray Goodwin, who scored an unbeaten 88, before Carl Hopkinson knocked off the winning runs to finish 13 not out and secure a six-wicket win. Read a full scorecard here.

Sussex secured another important win on the road two weeks later when they made the trip to Sophia Gardens to face Glamorgan.

The Welsh side won the toss and put their visitors into bat first, with Montgomerie, Prior and Adams struggling against the new ball.

Goodwin was also unable to find his fluent best and only mustered 44, but Yardy’s early-tournament form continued as he scored 88 off 120 balls, before Alex Wharf dismissed him.

An impressive run-a-ball 61 from Carl Hopkinson added a flurry of late runs to Sussex’s total, and Glamorgan eventually required 258 to win.

Their chase could never get up and running, as Naved-ul-Husan followed his four-wicket haul against Middlesex with a stunning five-fer in Cardiff.

Wickets fell at regular intervals throughout the innings, with Mark Cosgrove, Wharf, Mike Powell, Nicky Peng and Mark Wallace all dismissed by the Pakistan star.

Naved’s international teammate, Mushtaq Ahmed also impressed with the ball to finish with three wickets, and Glamorgan were all out after just 38.2 overs – 97 runs short of their target. Read a full scorecard here.

The Ford County Ground in Chelmsford was Sussex’s next venue in the 2006 C&G Trophy, and they made it three wins from three with another five-wicket win.

Chris Adams won the toss and put Essex into bat first, and the home side began brightly despite Grant Flower’s early LBW.  

Ronald Irani eventually finished not out with a fantastic 132 off 143 balls, while Ravi Bopara and Andy Flower both scored half-centuries before Michael Yardy and Luke Wright dismissed them.

James Kirtley also got the important wicket of Ryan ten Doeschate, but the hosts were still able to set Sussex a daunting 297 to win.

However, in reply, the Sussex batsmen – and Murray Goodwin in particular – refused to be fazed.

The Zimbabwean was the star of the show with an impeccable, unbeaten 158 off just 151 balls. The knock included 15 fours and five sixes, and, with support from Carl Hopkinson (61) and Robin Martin-Jenkins (20*), secured Sussex a great win.

Goodwin’s fabulous innings also saw him pass 8,000 List A runs, and meant Sussex returned to the sunny south coast with their perfect start to the 2006 C&G Trophy still intact. Read a full scorecard here.

Sussex were back on ‘home’ soil a day later when they welcomed Somerset to Cricket Field Road in Horsham.

The visitors were put into bat first and found things difficult in overcast conditions, with Carl Gazzard out for 16, Cameron White gone for 21 and James Hildreth dismissed for just one.

Opener, Matthew Wood offered some resistance with a patient 59, but when he was clean bowled by Mushtaq Ahmed, Keith Parsons was the only other Somerset batsman to make it into the twenties, with their innings reduced to 24 overs and ending on 158-7.

As a result of that reduction, Sussex’s target was 122 in 17 overs, and for long periods, they looked likely to fall well short.

Richard Montgomerie could only score three at the top of the order, while Chris Adams, Murray Goodwin and Carl Hopkinson all fell for successive ducks.

Matt Prior desperately needed some support, and eventually found some in Robin Martin-Jenkins, but when the young wicket-keeper/batsmen was out for 43, Sussex again looked in deep trouble.

However, Martin-Jenkins weathered the storm and got himself in, as did Luke Wright – and the pair played brilliantly together.

Martin-Jenkins scored 34 off 27 balls to pass 1,500 List A runs, while Wright hit 32 off just 13, and their partnership secured what had looked like an unlikely win in thrilling fashion. The stuff of champions…

Read a full scorecard here.

Chris Adams’ men were unable to build on that amazing victory when they travelled to The Nevill Ground in Tunbridge Wells six days later.

Sussex won the toss, and decided to bat first against Kent – a decision that looked to be inspired as Richard Montgomerie settled in quickly before hitting a fantastic 127.

Frustratingly, the Sussex opener failed to gain support from his teammates with wickets falling at regular intervals. Matt Prior, Chris Nash and Murray Goodwin all made good starts, for example, but were unable to convert.

In the end, James Tredwell finished as Kent’s best bowler with figures of 3-43, as Sussex set their opponents 285 to win.

The Sussex attack struggled for regular breakthroughs in reply, with Martin van Jaarsveld top-scoring for the hosts with an unbeaten 75.

Luke Wright, James Kirtley, Mushtaq Ahmed and Ollie Rayner all took a wicket each, but Kent were able to secure a six-wicket win with three overs remaining. Read a full scorecard here.

Sussex made the trip across the Irish Sea to Castle Avenue, Dublin for their next C&G Trophy clash, hoping to get back on track.

Ireland won the toss and opted to bat first, but Dominick Joyce and Jeremy Bray both fell for 0 as James Kirtley trapped the duo LBW.

Kirtley’s electric start continued when Will Porterfield was out for just five, but Sussex eventually faced some resistance as Peter Gillespie made 51.

However, another flurry of wickets followed his dismissal, with Luke Wright getting the better of Andrew White and David Johnston, again leg-before.

The young all-rounder eventually finished with four wickets after he bowled John Mooney for 34 and had Saqlain Mushtag caught behind for nought, while Kirley finished with 3-46, as Ireland were all out for 216.

It was a target Sussex always looked confident of chasing, and Richard Montgomerie got to work quickly following his century in the previous match against Kent.

With 13 fours, the opening batsman managed to score his second ton in as many matches – his match-winning 108 coming off 112 balls.

It was another imperious knock, this time supported by Chris Adams’ 65, and in the end, Sussex required just 37 overs to reach their target and secure a seven-wicket victory. Read a full scorecard here. 

Sussex secured their spot in the 2006 C&G Trophy final with an enthralling five-wicket win against local rivals, Hampshire.

The visitors from along the coast decided to bat first after winning the toss, but John Crawley was quickly trapped LBW by James Kirtley for just two.

Crawley’s fellow opener, Michael Carberry was able to stay at the crease for longer, and put together a well-played 71, until Michael Yardy and Luke Wright combined to dismiss the Hampshire man.

Sean Ervine also looked ominous at the crease, and scored 45 before Yasir Arafat made a big breakthrough to have him removed, while Nic Pothas (43*) and Adrian Mascarenhas (42) dragged their side to 254 despite the final four Hampshire batsmen out for ducks.

In reply, Matt Prior made his first half-century of the tournament with 54 off 55 balls, and Richard Montgomerie looked to be continuing his impressive form – until he was run out for 44.

The Sussex chase was dealt a further blow when Murray Goodwin was LBW to Shaun Udal for 0, but Carl Hopkinson scored a vital 69* and Robin Martin-Jenkins was again there at the end of the innings to see his side home.

The all-rounder hit the winnings runs to finish 21 not out and send his side to Lord’s with a game to spare. Read a full scorecard here.

Sussex’s eyes were clearly on Lord’s in their final South Division match of the tournament, as they fell to defeat at the hands of Gloucestershire.

After winning the toss at Arundel, Sussex opted to bowl first and did so expertly, as they dismissed their opponents for 98 all out.

Robin Martin-Jenkins and Michael Yardy both took three wickets each, while Yasir Arafat added two more to his tournament tally, with Mark Hardinges (25) the only Gloucestershire batsmen to reach the twenties.

However, as good as the Sussex bowling performance was, the batsmen struggled, with openers Richard Montgomerie and Matt Prior gone for five and nine respectively.

Chris Nash could only score 14, before Yardy, Carl Hopkinson, Sean Heather, Luke Wright, Arafat and Kirtley all failed to reach double figures.

Robin Martin-Jenkins top-scored with 20, but even he couldn’t stick around and Ollie Rayner was eventually left stranded not out with his side needing just two runs to win. Read the full scorecard here.