Sussex Sharks v Essex Eagles
Vitality Blast
The 1st Central County Ground, Hove
Team News:
Sussex Sharks: Josh Philippe (wk), Harrison Ward, Ali Orr, Tom Alsop, Ravi Bopara (c), Delray Rawlins, George Garton, Rashid Khan, Henry Crocombe, Steven Finn, Archie Lenham.
Essex Eagles: Adam Rossington (wk), Robin Das, Michael Pepper, Dan Lawrence, Paul Walter, Tom Westley, Daniel Sams, Simon Harmer (c), Aaron Beard, Ben Allison, Sam Cook.
Match Details:
Umpires: Hassan Adnan & Rob White
Match Referee: Devon Malcolm
Toss: Sussex Sharks, who elected to field
Result: Essex Eagles win by 28 runs
Scorecard: View Here
Match Highlights:
Match Reaction:
Adam Rossington
Match Report:
A magnificent bowling stint from the Essex Eagles captain Simon Harmer led his side to victory by 28 runs in the Vitality Blast match against the Sussex Sharks at Hove.
Harmer conceded just 18 runs from his four overs and also picked up the wickets of dangerman Ali Orr, Tom Alsop and George Garton. It was the eighth win of the campaign for Essex as Sussex Sharks disappointed once again before a sell-out crowd.
But Orr threatened more heroics as the Sharks chased a challenging 198 for victory.
After just four overs Sussex were 54 without loss, with Orr flying on 36. Josh Philippe was caught behind for 17 in the fifth over but after seven overs Sussex were better than on target, at 81 for one. But then Orr’s innings ended as he skied Harmer to midwicket. His 41 had come off just 21 balls, and there were five fours and two sixes.
Sussex Sharks were ahead of the game at the halfway stage, at 101 for two after ten overs. But then Harrison Ward holed out to the deep midwicket boundary for a 22-ball 31 and a 28-ball 47 from Sussex aptain and former Eagle, Ravi Bopara was not enough.
Earlier, Adam Rossington’s 50-ball 95, with 10 fours and 5 sixes, was the stand-out performance in the Essex total of 197 for eight. It was his highest score in the competition. But when Essex were 68 without loss in the seventh over they must have fancied their chances of scoring even more after being invited to bat.
Rossington brought up the fifty in the sixth over as he drove Henry Crocombe for a straight four, the bowler’s first three deliveries going for boundaries.
Robin Das featured for the first time this season but was out to Delray Rawlins for 17. Michael Pepper was caught brilliantly by Ali Orr, reverse sweeping to backward point, whilst Ravi Bopara’s second ball bowled Dan Lawrence.
Rossington moved to 95 with a maximum over long-off but was stumped next ball and then the emphasis turned to Tom Westley who hit a magnificent 54 off 30 balls. This turned out to be a crucial innings to help ensure the Eagles reached a challenging total. Westley struck three fours and four sixes, hitting George Garton out of the ground at cow corner. Rashid Khan was the pick of the Sussex Sharks bowling attack with 3/30, while Bopara (2/30) and Rawlins (2/34) also bowled well.
The win secured Essex Eagles a place in the knockout stages of the competition after Gloucestershire were defeated by Hampshire Hawks. The Eagles now return home to face Glamorgan at The Cloud County Ground on Saturday night (live on Sky Sports) with a chance to clinch a home quarter-final should Somerset drop points to Surrey.
