Sussex Sharks vs Yorkshire

Report by Paul Weaver on behalf of the ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Yorkshire made it two wins out of three in the Metro Bank One Day Cup with a one-sided victory over Sussex Sharks at Hove.

The victory came on the back of a fine innings of 117 from Will Luxton, with a dozen fours and four sixes, and a four-wicket opening burst by Ben Coad when Sussex batted.

Sussex, who have now lost their opening three games in the competition as they give opportunities to younger players, never looked likely to get the 326 needed to win but when they stumbled to 21 for five they looked in danger of undercutting their previous List A low of 49 against Derbyshire in 1969.

Sussex changed their quick bowlers, with Ollie Kirtley, Toby Munt and  Sean Hunt coming in for Troy Henry, Nantes Oosthuizen and the injured Dom Goodman. Yorkshire made just one, with Coad replacing Jack White.

Yorkshire’s total was built around a dominating fourth wicket stand between Luxton and Sam Whiteman (74), who added 160 runs in 26 overs. While they were together a strong Yorkshire team looked capable of making a score in excess of 350 against an inexperienced Sussex attack.

The match, which was soon reduced to 48 overs because of an early shower, got off to a strange start when Munt, in his second game, went for 17 in the opening over, with three fours and two wides.

In the second over, bowled by Hunt, the first short delivery was hooked for six by Adam Lyth, the second was a wide and the batsman pulled the next ball to Tom Price at deep backward square-leg. Lyth had made 21 from seven balls.

The fifty came up in the sixth over but from the last ball of that over, bowled by Hunt, Tom Price took another catch, this time diving at backward-point, to dismiss Will Bennison.

The runs looked there for the taking  but Sussex kept chipping away in the wickets column and their fielding was often outstanding.

Yorkshire lost their third wicket at 75 in the 11th over when Luxton called for a quick single and James Wharton was run out by Leaning’s direct hit from backward-point.

Luxton, driving fluently, and Whiteman, both scoring at just over a run a ball, then figured in the partnership of the match until Whiteman was brilliantly caught by Fynn Hudson-Prentice, one-handed at cover. The more experienced Hunt, with three wickets, was the pick of the Sussex bowlers.

When Sussex batted Charlie Tear was caught behind in the second over and Coad made it three wickets in his first two overs when he bowled George Thomas and had Tom Price lbw.

Dan Ibrahim was caught behind and Leaning was caught at midwicket before Hudson-Prentice hit one Ben Cliff over for 22 as he made a 30-ball fifty. And captain Jack Carson also gave home supporters some cheer with a 46-ball 49. Coad finished with a List A best 5-12.