Round-up for the week ending 25th March: Chris Jordan & Tymal Mills in Pakistan

The majority of the squad are preparing for their first cricketing action of the season on home soil, but there are still a few Sussex players keeping the Winter Watch flame alight for another week.

The Pakistan Super League reached its conclusion on Sunday and for the second year running Chris Jordan made it all the way to the final in Pakistan with Peshawar Zalmi. CJ wasn’t able to add another winner’s medal to his collection as Islamabad United triumphed by three wickets in Karachi, but the all-rounder was the Zalmi’s top-scorer with 36 from just 26 deliveries and amongst the pick of their bowlers with 2-22 from three overs to go with a catch.

Earlier in the week, CJ had taken on his Sussex teammate, Tymal Mills in the second eliminator as the Zalmi and Karachi Kings battled it out in Lahore for a place in the final. From his three overs, Tymal took 2-23 including the wickets of Darren Sammy and Wahab Riaz as CJ made nought not out during the Zalmi’s abridged innings of 170-7 from 16 overs. This was enough, with Karachi falling 14 runs short. CJ went wicketless from his three overs, conceding 27 runs.

Over in South Africa, Stiaan van Zyl scored yet more runs for Cape Cobra in the final round of matches in the domestic four-day competition. Stiaan made 47 and 56 not out against the Lions at Potchefstroom, as well as picking up a wicket in the home side’s first innings. His contributions weren’t enough to prevent the Lions winning by nine wickets, however. Stiaan finishes the competition with 540 runs from just eight innings and an average of 90. Roll on the County Championship!

The ECB’s annual North-South series continued in Barbados last week with Laurie Evans and Delray Rawlins involved from a Sussex perspective. Following on from Delray’s blistering innings in the first match, Laurie got in on the act with a 67-ball 64 in the second match on Wednesday. Delray didn’t trouble the scorers on this occasion but took two catches and bowled three overs for fifteen runs. Nonetheless, the North were able to level the series with a 46-run win.

The North then secured geographical bragging rights for the year ahead with a 92-run win in the third and final match on Friday. Delray recorded figures of 0-30 from five overs and Laurie executed a direct hit run out during the North’s innings. Set 297 to win, the South fell well-short. Delray made a quickfire 23 from 16 balls including an enormous straight six, while Laurie fell for a duck.