Top FIVE Sussex Sharks wins in El Clasicoast

The countdown to the 2021 Vitality Blast is well and truly on, with it now being just 100 days until our first home clash in this year's competition. 

The opponents on Saturday 12 June will be our old rivals, Hampshire in another instalment of El Clasicoast. Over the years, we have enjoyed some fantastic performances against the side from The Ageas Bowl, and below, we've relived five of the very best... 

Murray Goodwin leads Sussex rampage

18th June 2010 - Sussex won by nine wickets with 50 balls remaining

Sussex Sharks remained in control of the Twenty20 South Group after thrashing Hampshire Royals by nine wickets at Hove - a victory that saw Murray Goodwin's men chase down a target of 133 in just 11.4 overs.

Matt Prior fell for a golden duck, stumped by Nic Pothas off the bowling of Danny Briggs in the first over, but that was as good as it got for the Royals as Brendon McCullum and captain Goodwin went on the rampage.

The Zimbabwean smashed 76 from just 35 balls, winning the match with a six off Dominic Cork, while McCullum hammered 59 from 33 deliveries with six fours and four sixes, his first half-century for the Sharks.

At one stage Sussex scored 31 runs from just eight balls as seamer Chris Wood's second over disappeared for 21 and McCullum hit the first two deliveries of the next from Briggs for six and four.

An understrength Royals' attack had no answer after Sussex had earlier produced an excellent bowling performance to restrict the Royals to 132 for 8 - despite visiting skipper Cork winning the toss.

A full scorecard from that thumping victory can be found here. 

Cachopa blazes Sussex to derby win

19th June 2015 - Sussex won by seven wickets with eight balls remaining

Craig Cachopa smashed his highest career T20 score to end Sussex's hoodoo against Hampshire as they thrashed the early South Group pacesetters by seven wickets.

New Zealander Cachopa struck a fantastic 89 not out at The Ageas Bowl as the Sharks chased down a victory target of 158 to beat their south-coast rivals for the first time in eight attempts.

Cachopa was brilliantly accompanied by Matt Machan, who scored an unbeaten 52 as the pair put on 144 for the fourth wicket, knocking off the winning runs with eight balls to spare.

Sussex were in deep trouble on 14 for 3, but Cachopa and Machan reconstructed the innings, striking 50 off 36 deliveries before two monstrous overs off spinners Danny Briggs and Will Smith went for 32 runs.

Earlier, the Sharks won the toss and elected to field and restricted Hampshire to a below-par 157 for 6, with Ollie Robinson taking two wickets to dismiss Michael Carberry and then Owais Shah. From there, the home side struggled and Luke Wright's side secured a memorable win in impressive fashion. 

A full scorecard can be seen here.

Archer's best ends Hampshire's unbeaten run

20th July 2017 - Sussex won by six wickets with 16 balls remaining

Jofra Archer recorded his career best Twenty20 figures to help Sussex end Hampshire's unbeaten start to the Natwest T20 Blast.

West Indian-born fast bowler Archer posted figures of 4 for 18 from his four overs to restrict Hampshire to a below par 126.

And Sussex eased to their first victory of the tournament as Chris Nash and Ben Brown crashed an 82-run stand before Chris Jordan hit the winning runs to complete the six-wicket thrashing with 16 balls to spare.

David Wiese and former Hampshire man, Danny Briggs impressed for the Sharks, but Archer stood out, dismissing James Vince, Sean Ervine, Tom Alsop and finally Kyle Abbott.

In reply, the Sussex chase began slowly, but runs seemed to flow more quickly in the second innings with Chris Nash and Ben Brown constantly picking the gaps to lead their side within 42 runs of the win before Brown was lbw for 43 to Shahid Afridi.

Nash was then caught at mid-wicket for 32 to hand Mason Crane a wicket and Ross Taylor was run out by a Vince direct hit - but the Sharks cantered to victory. A full scorecard can be found here. 

Wright on song as Sussex strengthen grip of South Group

12th July 2018 - Sussex won by eight wickets with ten balls remaining

Luke Wright scored his second fifty in a week to keep up Sussex's 100 per cent win record in the Vitality Blast as they thrashed Hampshire by eight wickets.

Opener Wright never looked in any trouble, and refused to give his opponents a sniff, as he struck 68 off 53 balls as he put on 96 with Laurie Evans, who also scored a brilliant half century.

Having already beaten Essex and Glamorgan in the opening two rounds, Sussex looked confident chasing 158, and Phil Salt, alongside his skipper, began the chase in thrilling fashion with a mixture of timely boundaries and quick running. 

Wright reached his 35th format fifty off 40-balls, before he found Chris Wood on the long-on boundary, but Evans collected a classy 55* to guide the Sharks home.

Earlier, Hampshire were put into bat first on a wicket that never really came onto the batsmen. The main menace was Jofra Archer, who ended with figures of three for 26, but Danny Briggs also took three wickets against his former employers. 

A scorecard can be found here. 

Reece Topley and Phil Salt come to party as Sussex hold off Hampshire

24th July 2019 - Sussex won by 14 runs

Reece Topley enjoyed a Sussex debut to remember with four wickets - three of them in four balls - as the Sharks beat Hampshire by 15 runs in the Vitality Blast at The 1st Central County Ground.

Topley, who left Hampshire at the end of the 2018 season, laid waste to their top order by removing Aneurin Donald (13) and James Vince and Sam Northeast for ducks – his first T20 wickets since 2017 – in a sensational second over that sent a capacity crowd wild.

He then returned to end Hampshire's brave pursuit of a target of 189 when Kyle Abbott was caught in the deep off the final ball of the 19th over to finish with 4 for 33. Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan also took two wickets, while Danny Briggs ended with figures of 3 for 35.

Earlier, Luke Wright's men batted first and Phil Salt led the charge for the Sharks with an impressive 73 off 46 balls, while David Wiese finished unbeaten on 44 and Khan, who smashed 22 off seven balls, provided impetus at the end of the first innings. 

A full scorecard can be found here.