Sussex Triumph in Last-Ball Thriller Despite Taylor Twins’ Heroics in Vitality Blast 2024
Sussex Sharks edged out Gloucestershire by three wickets to kickstart their Vitality Blast campaign with a thrilling win.
The match saw Tymal Mills, on his captaincy debut, shine with a crucial performance. The Sussex Sharks defeated Gloucestershire by three wickets at Hove, using a last-ball bye to set up a triumphant start to their Vitality Blast season.
Gloucestershire 167 for 8 (J Taylor 52, Mills 4-25) lost against Sussex 168 for 7 (Hudson-Prentice 47, M Taylor 3-32) by three wickets.
After chasing 168, Sussex needed to win the final over by ten runs, but Fynn Hudson-Prentice, whose 47 seemed to have put them in the lead, was caught behind, giving Matt Taylor his third wicket. Jack Carson hit a six onto the pavilion roof and scrambled a single when he needed eight from three deliveries, leaving Nathan McAndrew to face the last ball.
McAndrew was unable to make contact, but Sussex—who had only triumphed once at the 1st Central County Ground in the previous year’s tournament—had secured an exhilarating victory when James Bracey missed his attempt at the stumps.
Gloucestershire, especially the brothers Jack and Matt Taylor, will believe that they should have won the game. On a hybrid pitch that offered decent pace and carry, captain Jack Taylor guided them to a seemingly competitive total of 167 for 8. After that, Matt became the third bowler in the match to achieve a hat-trick, as Ben Charlesworth dived full length to his right at short third to brilliantly cling one-handed onto Tom Alsop’s full-blooded cut shot, and Ollie Carter failed to control a short ball.
Sussex were 53 for 4 in the eighth over and facing certain defeat when James Coles was bowled to create space for David Payne to drive through the off side and rookie Daniel Hughes played around a straight one from left-arm spinner Graeme van Buuren. However, John Simpson and Hudson-Prentice combined to add 56 off 37 balls and turn the chase around.
With two overs remaining, Sussex was within 13 of victory as Simpson struck 36 off 19 before dragging a ball from Marchant de Lange to midwicket. However, Lamb and Hudson-Prentice kept up the momentum with 47 off 32. Another surprise occurred when Ajeet Singh Dale tricked Lamb by bowling a slower ball, giving up just three runs in the process to set up an exciting final over in which Sussex won.
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A move up to No. 5 obviously paid off for Jack Taylor, who scored his third fifty in the format before becoming one of three victims in the last over for Tymal Mills, the new captain of Sussex, who finished with 4 for 25.
Taylor entered the game midway through the innings and took the lead after McAndrew had reduced Gloucestershire to 111 for 5 after taking two wickets in the same over.
He contributed to the 19-run chase in the penultimate over, swinging Lamb for his third six over midwicket and out of the ground. Towards the end of the innings, Mills displayed all his skills, conceding just three runs, dismissing Taylor with a catch at deep square leg and luring van Buuren and Matt Taylor with his slower ball. It turned out to be a significant addition.
Miles Hammond and Cameron Bancroft, the opening pair, put up 59 to put Gloucestershire in a strong position, but Carson, making his T20 debut, had a great night, taking two wickets in his opening over to remove Hammond and Bracey.
Before an explosive yorker from Australian McAndrew split Bancroft’s leg stump in two, the batsman appeared unfazed. However, Jack Taylor quickly regained the upper hand, scoring 64 off just 35 balls, while Charlesworth and his brother kept Gloucestershire moving before Sussex rallied.
