sussex 182 for 6 (Shadab 87*, van der Gugten 3-20) defeated glamorgan 162 of 8 (Fletcher 57, Northeast 44) for 20 runs
Sussex were in trouble early in their innings but Shadab led a brilliant fight to post an imposing 182 for 6. The all-rounder from Pakistan was well supported by Michael Burgess and James Coles as Sussex’s middle order took the game away from the home team .
Both teams have a mathematical, albeit unlikely, chance of reaching the knockout stages of the Blast, but it will be difficult for either side to reverse the net run rate advantage held by other teams in Group South.
It was an outstanding start from the Glamorgan bowlers within the power play with Timm van der Gugten claiming three vital wickets in the first overs. Van der Gugten dismissed both front men with full balls that were caught inside the circle and caught Oli Carter on a thin leg as he attempted a spoon shot.
Jamie McIlroy also contributed a wicket within fielding restrictions, with an impressive catch up the side of Chris Cooke’s leg sending Sussex captain Ravi Bopara back to the bench. That left Sussex 46 for 4 late on the power play and in dire need of a partnership.
A 58-run stand between Michael Burgess and Shadab took Sussex past the 100-run mark and began to build a platform. Shadab was the player to lead the fight by securing his second half-century of this Blast campaign, but Burgess played the part of him by making 29 for 22 balls before clipping a ball from Andy Gorvin to his stumps.
Shadab found another willing partner in James Coles when they attacked at the back of the Sussex innings after a successful rebuilding job. The last five overs saw 65 runs added to the visitors’ total. Shadab passed 50 of 39 balls but made another 36 runs in the next 14 passes he faced to finish with 87 not out.
Glamorgan’s chase got off to the worst possible start when captain Kiran Carlson was caught in the ravine from the first ball of the innings, but Will Smale and Sam Northeast did a decent job of recovering from Carlson’s early loss with a position of 37 . .
Smale seemed to really be going before the extra pace from Tymal Mills did it for him. He was bowled for 25 to leave Glamorgan 37 for 2. Northeast, back to the opening after a spell in the middle order, looked in fine form as he made 44 of 30 deliveries before Harrison Ward caught him at the limit. Bopara.
Cooke was strangely eliminated by Shadab on the non-striking side. Fletcher drilled the ball straight towards the bowler and Shadab stopped the ball with his foot with a touch worthy of Lionel Messi before calmly picking it up and running away from Cooke.
The timing of that shot was indicative of how well Fletcher hit the ball throughout his innings. He had made only one run from his previous two visits to the Glamorgan crease, but he found some form here on his way to 57 for 40 balls.
As the wickets fell around Fletcher there was little he could do as the required rate increased to make a win mathematically impossible as the last over began and he fell trying to swing for the fences as Sussex wrapped up the win.
