Sussex Sharks vs Somerset

Somerset produced an unlikely victory over Sussex in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at Hove, winning by 90 runs after being bowled out for a modest 243. It was their fourth victory in six matches.

                On a slow pitch that offered some sharp seam movement on occasions, but was far from unplayable, both sides were guilty of rash strokeplay, especially the Sussex Sharks when they lost four wicket for no runs in the course of eight deliveries.

       The Sharks were clear favourites at the halfway point of the match.  And they reinforced their position when they reached 60 for one at the end of the first 10-over powerplay, almost twice as many as Somerset had scored (33-3) at the same stage of their innings.  But then Sussex collapsed in a way that made their recent implosion against Lancashire, when they lost six wickets for 27 runs before winning a thrilling contest, look commonplace.

           From the start of the 11th over Charlie Tear flayed a wide delivery straight to cover.  Next ball, Fynn Hudson-Prentice missed a straight one and was lbw.  And three balls later captain John Simpson got one that cut back off the pitch and was also lbw. Tom Lammonby, who had made a three-ball duck when he had opened the Somerset innings, had bowled a three-wicket maiden.

           It got worse.  Tom Clark, who had batted impressively, lobbed the second delivery of the 12th over to mid-on and Sussex were 60 for five. Jack Carson, heroic in the recent wins over Kent and Lancashire, hinted at another rescue act with a vigorous 35 before pulling to midwicket, and when Oli Carter was caught in the same area, to make it 128 for eight, it was realistically all over. Lammonby took five wickets for the first time in any competition.

        The Somerset total had looked insufficient, and they were happy to get there after being 82 for five in the 20th over.  Their innings was revived by half-centuries from Josh Thomas and Fin Hill after the Rew brothers James and Thomas had both failed to build on promising starts.

          Somerset, who continued their rotation policy by bringing in Kian Roberts, Kasey Aldridge and Hill, made a frantic start to their innings.  Archie Vaughan was caught down the leg-side first ball and Sussex missed two more chances in the first two overs.  But they weren’t made to pay for their profligacy.  In the third over Lammonby was caught at slip off Sean Hunt, coming back into the side in place of Bertie Foreman, and it was 21 for three in the sixth over when Lewis Goldsworthy, surprised by the bounce achieved by Hudson-Prentice, could only fend the ball off to Henry Crocombe at square-leg.

           Once again Somerset were looking to the Rews to pull them round.  But captain James, attempting to turn Crocombe to leg, got a leading edge back to the bowler for just  29 and the same bowler jagged one back to bowl his younger brother through the gate for 30.

           At that stage significant recovery looked beyond an inexperienced Somerset side.  But they were transformed by a sixth wicket stand of 59 between Thomas and Hill.  Thomas, mixing bludgeoning blows with some sweetly timed drives – on a pitch where timing was difficult - was particularly impressive, stroking Crocombe square on the off-side to raise the hundred in the 24th over.  He reached his fifty from 54 balls when he pulled Hunt for six but was caught behind in the same over. A seventh wicket stand of 67 between Hill and Roberts maintained the Somerset recovery.

ECB Reports Network supported by Rothesay