Essex Eagles v Sussex Sharks
Vitality Blast
The Cloudfm County Ground
Team News:
Essex Eagles: Tom Westley, Will Buttleman (wk), Michael Pepper, Paul Walter, Ryan ten Doeschate, Jimmy Neesham, Simon Harmer (c), Aron Nijjar, Jack Plom, Sam Cook, Jamie Porter.
Sussex Sharks: Travis Head, Philip Salt(wk), Luke Wright (c), Ravi Bopara, David Wiese, Delray Rawlins, Chris Jordan, George Garton, Will Beer, Archie Lenham, Tymal Mills.
Match Details:
Umpires: Peter Hartley & Muhammad Syed
Toss: Sussex, who elected to field
Result: Sussex Sharks won by 7 wickets – view scorecard
Match Highlights: Coming Soon
Match Reaction: Michael Pepper
Match Report:
Essex Eagles suffered their third successive Vitality Blast defeat as they were beaten by in-form Sussex at The Cloudfm County Ground.
Replying to a total of 128-8, the visitors romped to the winning post with 6 overs and 7 wickets to spare with Luke Wright confirming his liking for the Chelmsford ground with another fine and influential knock.
Seven years ago, he smashed a record 153 not out and on this occasion, he helped himself to 75 from 48 deliveries three of which he despatched 4 sixes. In addition, he collected 8 fours.
Former Essex players Ravi Bopara and Tymal Mills also played their part in preserving The Sharks unbeaten three-match record by picking up 3 wickets for only 38 runs from their combined 7 overs.
The Eagles had been put into bat and Will Buttleman and Tom Westley launched the innings on an encouraging note before both were removed in the space of 4 balls to leave them 33-2 after 4.3 overs.
Westley became a victim in a George Garton over that cost 17 runs while Mills removed Buttleman for 26 that had arrived from 17 balls when Will Beer showed a clean pair of hands in the covers.
Only Michael Pepper with 38 from 25 balls defied the Sharks for any length of time but once he holed out to cover point, the innings began to decline.
There was a brief flurry from Jimmy Neesham, with 19 from 13 deliveries but the Eagles never threatened to post a challenging target on the hybrid pitch.
Chris Jordan conceded just 21 in his 4 overs while picking up the wicket of Jack Plom but it was Garton that proved the most successful.
Despite his expensive over, he finished with 3/31 whilst Beer kept the Essex batsmen on a tight rein with 1/20 from 3 overs.
The Eagles desperately needed quick wickets to make a game of it but Wright and Phil Salt denied them as they put on 54 in 6 overs before Ryan ten Doeschate ran out the latter.
Salt’s contribution was a mere 13 but it was the first time that he had been dismissed in the competition this season having produced a couple of scores in the 70s.
Travis Head shared on another half-century partnership before he was caught at deep mid-wicket for 27 attacking Aron Nijjar and then Wright skied an easy catch to wicket-keeper Buttleman with the Sharks just 6 runs short of their objective.
That dismissal bought in Delray Rawlins to finish the match with a maximun from the second ball he faced and leaving Bopara 6 not out in the briefest of appearances with the bat on his former stomping ground.
The Eagles are at home again on Friday when they entertain Gloucestershire.
