SUSSEX
LEAPFROG SURREY TO KEEP CB40 HOPES ALIVE by Marcus Hook
Surrey Lions 252 (39.5 Overs) v Sussex Sharks 256-4 (38.2 Overs).
Sussex Sharks win by 6 wickets.
Sussex overtook Surrey to regain
second place in Group A of the Clydesdale Bank 40 with a comfortable
six-wicket victory at Guildford. When Chris Nash and Murray Goodwin
departed in the 24th over of the visitors' reply, it looked as if
Surrey might sidestep having posted a below par total on a ground
where runs tend to be easier to come by. But an unbroken fifth
wicket stand of 113 in 15 overs between Michael Yardy and Andrew
Hodd saw the Sharks home sealed with ten balls to spare. The result
keeps alive Sussex's hopes of a semi-final berth, but leaves Surrey,
who still have to travel to Taunton and Hove, one bad performance
away from exclusion.
After winning the toss and electing
to bat, the Lions raced to 41 in four overs, during which Rory
Hamilton-Brown launched James Kirtley over long-off for six. But
left-armer Chris Liddle pegged things back with the wickets of the
Surrey skipper and Steven Davies, both of whom miscued high to
mid-on, in overs six and eight.
Stewart Walters then shared in stands
of 84 and 51 with Mark Ramprakash and Matthew Spriegel. Although his
alliance with Ramprakash was the more productive, the hosts' could
have done with Ramprakash finding the boundary more than twice. The
only time the former Middlesex man cut really loose during his
51-ball stay at the crease was when he picked Kirtley up over
mid-wicket for six in the 24th over.
The next over saw Walters reach his
first fifty of the summer in one-day cricket, which came off 58
deliveries, with a cut four off Yardy. But, in the 26th over,
Ramprakash was bowled heaving across the line and, moments later,
Monty Panesar beat Jason Roy in the flight to have the 19-year-old
stumped.
In the 30th over, Walters pulled
Ragheb Aga off the front foot for six. But immediately following a
break for drinks Spriegel, looking to drive a full and wide
delivery, was caught behind for a quick 30. Two overs later, Walters
holed out to deep cover point and Surrey's hopes of setting Sussex
seven an over fizzled out when Gary Wilson dragged Yasir Arafat on
to the top of his off stump to make it 239-7.
In reply, the Sharks' openers brought
the fifty up in the seventh over. Spriegel's introduction to the
attack produced the wicket of Ed Joyce, caught at long-off. In the
17th over, Joe Gatting took his side past one hundred with a four
through extra cover off Spriegel. But, three overs later, Chris
Tremlett's first ball back proved too good for the 22-year-old.
Nash's fifty, which came off 57
deliveries, was brought up with a pulled six off the wayward Tim
Linley. But, two overs later, Gareth Batty accounted for Nash,
sweeping, caught at backward square leg, and then Goodwin.
The outcome was still in the balance
with six overs to go and Sussex requiring 52. But, in the 37th over,
Yardy launched Tremlett over wide long-on for six and Hodd started
the 38th with a four through extra cover and an on driven maximum
off Dernbach.
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