Winter Watch: Sussex stars impress on international stage

It’s been yet another busy week for our players around the world, with Sussex’s involvement in the Big Bash coming to an end and a host of stars on international duty.

Jason Gillespie’s Adelaide Strikers finished the tournament’s group-stage in third place, and had to wait until Saturday night for their knockout match against Sydney Thunder.

After fears the game would be abandoned without a ball bowled due to heavy rain, the weather cleared and the Strikers opted to bowl first after winning the toss – despite all three BBL|09 knockout matches so far being won by the team batting first.

Nevertheless, some tight bowling from Rashid Khan, who finished with figures of 1-24 from his four overs, and Travis Head, who took 1-9 from his only over, restricted the Thunder to 151.

Alex Hales was the only man in green to impress with the bat, and his excellent 59 off just 35 balls, which included four sixes, gave the Thunder something to defend.

In reply, Phil Salt was dismissed for five, straight after cracking Daniel Sams for a boundary, and fellow opener, Jake Weatherald also went early – bowled by Chris Tremain for 18.

Head steadied the ship alongside Alex Carey, but when the Strikers skipper chopped onto his own stumps for what had been a comfortable 32 off 23 balls, and Carey was run out for 28, the chase crumbled.

With Khan unable to add to the score, and the Strikers suddenly losing 6-24, Dizzy’s side eventually fell eight runs short of their target as their Big Bash campaign came to a disappointing end.

Despite Saturday’s defeat, the Sussex members of the Strikers squad were in high spirits the following day as they helped raise over $1m for the SA Bushfire Appeal in a T20 Showdown match.

Salt, Head and Khan were all involved as teams made up of AFL players and the Strikers’ men’s and women’s sides came together to raise money for a hugely important cause, in front of 34,000 people at Adelaide Oval.

Donations can still be made here.

.@travishead34 🆚 @rashidkhan_19

These two, and @PhilSalt1, helped raise over $1m for the SA Bushfire Appeal in yesterday’s T20 Showdown! 👏pic.twitter.com/2Zqrx5mchl

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) February 3, 2020

Staying in Australia, Laurie Evans enjoyed an excellent England Lions debut, hitting 94 off 89 balls as the tourists beat Australia by six wickets at Carrara.

Australia won the toss and chose to bat in the first 50-over match of the series, and finished on 281-8 with Max Bryant top-scoring with 102 from the top of the order.

After James Bracey and Tom Kohler-Cadmore were both dismissed in the opening five overs, Warwickshire’s Sam Hain led the chase with an unbeaten 122, and he was well supported by Evans.

The pair put on 154 for the fourth wicket, and Evans looked at ease on his international debut, hitting eleven fours and a six as England secured victory in the 48th over.

A brilliant England Lions debut for this man! 👏@LaurieEvans32 hit 94 as the tourists beat Australia by six wickets overnight. 🦁 pic.twitter.com/Ax3WobPJlD

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) February 2, 2020

Sussex women star, Danni Wyatt was also on international duty in Australia, and carried on her stunning T20 form with 77 off 44 balls as England began their World Cup preparations with a comprehensive 47-run win over an ACT XI in Canberra.

Wyatt, who has been in brilliant form over the last 18 months and scored her second T20 ton for England last year, opened the batting alongside Amy Jones and smashed nine fours and two sixes.

Her 77 meant the ACT XI required 192 to win, and they could only muster 144-9 from their 20 overs as England’s new head coach, Lisa Keightley enjoyed the perfect start to her time in charge.

England then began their tri-series against India on Friday, and suffered a narrow defeat despite Heather Knight’s Player of the Match Performance, but were back to winning ways against Australia 24 hours later.

It was a thrilling victory earned thanks to a Super Over, after Wyatt hit 17 off 14 balls and Knight scored a career-best 78 to see England finish on 156-4.

In reply, Australia were seemingly struggling, needing 40 off the last three overs, but a late flurry of runs from Annabel Sutherland and Delissa Kimmince took it to a one-over showdown, which England won thanks to some more heroics from Knight.

England’s men’s side, who also know a thing or two about Super Overs, have been in action too, with Chris Jordan part of Eoin Morgan’s side preparing for the one-day leg of their South Africa tour.

On Friday, England were put into bat first by a Cricket South Africa Invitation XI, and after Jason Roy hit a blistering 104 off just 99 balls, and Jordan finished unbeaten on 14 off 17 balls, the hosts required 241 to win.

Defending that total, Jordan bowled 5.4 overs for 31 runs, and he took the wickets of Garnett Tarr and Imran Manack as England sealed a 77-run victory.

In the second warm-up match, which took place in Paarl on Saturday ahead of the three-match series beginning on Tuesday, England again batted first, with Jonny Bairstow top-scoring with an 83-ball hundred.

Having scored 346-7 in their 50 overs, England then opted to reset the encounter after 20 overs – asking the CSA XI to score 85 from 10.

CJ again bowled well in what proved to be a valuable test for Morgan’s men, taking 1-22 from his four overs, but South Africa sealed a four-wicket win with two balls remaining.

Meanwhile, Jofra Archer has been ruled out of England’s white-ball fixtures in South Africa as he continues to recover from an elbow injury, and Salt and Ravi Bopara have been included in Ajmal Shahzad's MCC squad to tour Pakistan.