Sussex Sharks vs Buckinghamshire: Match report

Sussex were given a testing warm-up for the Metro Bank One Day Cup as they beat Buckinghamshire by 115 runs in their National Counties Showcase match.

Half-centuries from Tom Haines, Tom Alsop, Tom Clark and James Coles set the tone for a confident batting performance from the Sharks, who made 335-9 in their 50 overs.

Buckinghamshire, who had been performing well in the NCCA 3 Day Championship of late, were never clearly outclassed at Hove and could be proud of their performance in both departments.

Captain Tom Hampton took 3-69 and spinner Conner Haddow 3-71 with the ball, while Ewan Cox and Aadi Sharma both made scores in a chase that otherwise lacked momentum.

Sussex won the toss and opted to bat first, with a new opening partnership of captain Tom Haines and youngster Henry Rogers facing up.

Despite great expectations after his 73 against Oxfordshire, 17-year-old Rogers was unable to follow up as he was run out without scoring in the second over of the day.

Tom Alsop came in and got the scoreboard moving with a flurry of boundaries, including a glorious six over bowler Cameron Parsons’ head to bring up a 50 partnership with Haines.

Though Haines survived a couple of outside edge scares to wicket-keeper Ross Richardson, he too accelerated well from a watchful start and brought up his 50 off 49 balls in the 16th over.

Spinner Conner Haddow finally prised Haines out in the 19th over for 60, while Harrison Ward followed, out for 10 as he chipped a catch back to Haddow.

Alsop held the innings together with a patient 54 off 70 balls, but perished to Ed Bragg’s excellent catch on the deep midwicket boundary off the bowling of former Worcestershire all-rounder Alexei Kervezee.

With Sussex in a little trouble at 136-4, Tom Clark and James Coles then combined for a useful partnership of 89 in the engine room of the innings.

The pair plundered six fours and four sixes to drive the Sussex score forward before Clark was eventually dismissed for 53 by a devilish delivery from Buckinghamshire skipper Hampton.

Surging on, however, Coles became the fourth Sussex batsman to reach his half-century and continued to make runs after the departure of Oli Carter for 19.

Coles finally fell for 61 runs off 42 balls, placing a half-volley from Haddow to AJ Woodland at cover, but his score was enough to take pressure off the Sussex lower order.

That was just as well, with Jack Carson being run out on 12 after a mix-up with Fynn Hudson-Prentice to leave the hosts 291-8.

Sussex’s ninth-wicket partnership added a useful 33 runs, however, with Steven Finn making 15 off 19 balls alongside Hudson-Prentice’s counter-punching innings of 26.

An outstanding catch from Woodland, racing round to extra cover, saw Hudson-Prentice fall in the final over, but a quickfire seven from Brad Currie saw Sussex finish with a flourish to post 335-9.

Faced with that imposing total, Buckinghamshire’s opening pair of Woodland and Ewan Cox took a pragmatic approach early on.

After a couple of well-timed straight hits for four, 2016 Wisden School Cricketer of the Year Woodland became Finn’s first victim on his return from injury, feathering an edge to Oli Carter on 14.

Jack Carson then entered the fray for Sussex and bowled Leicestershire Second XI batsman Jake Tarling for six, leaving the visitors 54-2 after 14 overs.

Another brief partnership saw Cox creep closer to his half-century before eventually falling for 44 off 56 balls, with Tom Clark taking the catch at point off the bowling of Carson.

Kervezee then fell in quick succession, caught by Rogers at leg gully whilst trying to work away a full delivery from James Coles.

With the visitors 83-4 and unlikely to challenge the Sussex total, Ross Richardson and Aadi Sharma played watchfully and profited off a handful of wides from Coles and Carson.

There was still fluency to be found for Sussex, but with Richardson the next to fall when attempting to lift Hudson-Prentice over square leg, the Sharks edged closer to victory.

The trend of wickets continued as Bragg chipped Tom Haines to mid-on and Parsons followed by hoicking Carson to Harrison Ward on the leg side boundary.

Buckinghamshire gallantly batted on from 143-7, however, and with Haddow smashing a powerful six in front of the press box in a Coles over worth 18 runs, the spinner ably supported Aadi Sharma.

Sharma, aged just 17 and wearing his Northamptonshire Second XI helmet, timed his shots superbly for 46 off 62 balls but eventually fell to fine Brad Currie delivery that nipped back into off stump.

Conner Haddow and skipper Hampton were determined to end by giving it a bash, and Hampton perished in that manner to a turning delivery from Jack Carson, who finished with figures of 3-46.

Report written by Will Hugall