Sussex Sharks win low-scoring T20 Blast in last over
Friday 10th June 2016
Mitch Claydon took 3/25 and Sam Northeast hit his 10th T20 half-century in a four-wicket final-over defeat in the NatWest T20 Blast at Hove.
Chasing 141, Sussex needed eight off the final over as South Africa all-rounder David Wiese drove to the extra cover boundary before guiding the next delivery to the third man rope to seal victory with three balls to spare.
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It was Sussex’s other overseas player, New Zealander Ross Taylor, who set up the win with a measured 62 off 50 balls at the 1st Central County Ground.
Sussex were struggling on 68 for 4 after 12 overs in their response when Taylor was joined by Chris Jordan in a match-winning stand of 61 from 39 balls.
Taylor struck off-spinner James Tredwell for 16 off three balls in the 16th over to tilt the contest Sussex’s way and although both he and Jordan (16) fell to catches in the deep off Mitch Claydon in the penultimate over, Wiese held his nerve to secure a third win out of four in the South Group for his side.
Claydon having earlier bowled Ben Brown (26) while Matt Coles also impressed, finishing with 1 for 17 and claiming the key early scalp of Sussex skipper Luke Wright, who was caught at deep square leg for three.
Kent had been bowled out for 140 off the final ball of their innings, having been put in, after some impressive work from Sussex’s seamers on a slow pitch.
England international Jordan led the way with 3 for 18. In his first spell he removed Daniel Bell-Drummond (17) with a slower ball and returned to the attack to have Alex Blake (3) caught at cover and Darren Stevens (17) at mid-wicket.
Jordan was well backed up by left-armer Tymal Mills, whose searing pace made it tough for the Kent batsmen.
Mills yorked Coles and then removed Tredwell and Griffiths in his final over to finish with 3 for 15 while Wiese took 2 for 33 including Kent captain Sam Northeast, who returned to form with 53 off 33 balls includng two fours and four sixes struck between long on and mid-wicket before he mistimed a pull allowing Wiese to take a simple return catch.
Sussex’s seamers were well supported by leg-spinner Will Beer, who had the dangerous Sam Billings (10) lbw sweeping as Kent lost five wickets for nine runs.