Sussex claim quarter-final place with victory over Essex

A crucial sixth-wicket partnership between Calum MacLeod and George Garton ensured Sussex secured victory over Essex, booking their place in the Vitality Blast quarter-finals.

Essex’s innings couldn’t have got off to a worse start. The Eagles found themselves 0 for 2 after the first over, George Garton bowling both Cameron Delport and Feroze Khushi without score.

Varun Chopra and Michael Pepper put up some resistance, but both departed for 12 and 6 respectively to leave Essex struggling on 22 for 4 after just 4.4 overs bowled.

Paul Walter led the resistance as the tall all-rounder attempted to ensure his team gave Sussex some form of total to chase down. Sussex were guaranteed a quarter-final berth with a win at Chelmsford, but knew they could miss out should they lose and results elsewhere go against them.

Essex had already departed the tournament that they’d lifted back in September of last year, and included a number of young players in their side.

One of which was Robin Das, who become Walter’s next partner when Simon Harmer top-edged Tim Wiese to Phil Salt behind the stumps.

Das, like many of the Essex batsman, failed to settle on the surface, only three players making double figures for the Eagles.

After he departed for 7, Jack Plom (5) and Aron Nijjar (3) also failed to aid Walter in his attack of the Sussex bowling unit.

When departing in the final over, Walter had ensured Essex had something to bowl at by making 76 off just 45 deliveries.

The final total stood at 136-9 when Benjamin Allison scrambled through for a single, Sussex requiring 137 to secure that quarter-final place.

Sussex would have been confident of the total on one of the smaller grounds on the County circuit.

They found themselves 9 for 1 after two overs however, Luke Wright getting an attempted cut shot wrong and diverting the ball into his stumps.

Salt began to stamp his authority on the game and took an Allison over for 16. Despite his exploits, wickets continued to fall around the wicket-keeper batman as Delray Rawlins (4) and former Essex man Ravi Bopara (4) both departed, the latter to a brilliant catch on the boundary by Allison off the bowling of Shane Snater.

The onslaught from Salt took the required run rate below six for the first time in the game, but he was eventually caught at mid-off by Simon Harmer off Snater to make it two in the over for the Dutchman.

Tim Wiese’s stay at the crease was short-lived as Harmer trapped him LBW to leave Sussex wobbling on 59 for 5.

Calum MacLeod and George Garton attempted to steady the ship and kept the run rate below seven by taking singles and collecting the odd boundary.

Harmer’s inexpensive over in the 13th saw the rate go up to above seven, Snater failing to follow up the South African’s good work by handing MacLeod a full toss to start the 14th which was duly dispatched for four.

MacLeod and Garton collected their 50 partnership in the 16th over, scoring 51 runs in 50 balls as Sussex edged closer to the target.

The Sharks seemed destined to reach the total should they avoid losing quick wickets, the rate at a very manageable 5.7 going into the 18th over.

A four off Plom to MacLeod put Sussex within touching distance of the quarter-finals, requiring just nine off the next 15 balls.

MacLeod departed when trying to finish the game in style. His 40 off as many balls ensuring incoming batsman Ollie Robinson wouldn’t have too much left to do.

The winning runs would arrive in the 19th over when Garton cut Delport to the fence, Sussex through to the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast.

Essex 136/9, Walter 76

FOW – 0/1, 0/2, 3/18, 4/22, 5/65, 6-97, 7-109, 8-117, 9-135

Sussex – 137/6, Salt 42

FOW – 9/1, 18/2, 51/3, 57/4, 59/5, 132/6

Essex – Delport, Chopra, Khushi, Pepper (wk), Walter, Harmer (c), Das, Plom, Nijjar

Sussex – Salt (wk), Wright (c), Rawlins, Wiese, Bopara, Macleod, Garton, Robinson, Briggs, Claydon, Mills