Sussex (A)

[dazedpenguin]

If it's Friday it must be the Blast. Squad for the Sussex game:

Harmer, Allison, Beard, Benkenstein, Cook, Das, Lawrence, Nijjar, Pepper, Rossington, Sams, Walter, Westley

Das in for Khushi. I wonder if he'll open or they'll try Westley or Walter? Critchley still out with injury. Presumably Allison and Benkenstein miss out.

[SirChef26]

I reckon they'll open with Westley and play Benkenstein as well.

For those arsed, Hampshire vs Gloucestershire is on Sky is after the test match. If Hampshire win, we're through regardless of what happens at Hove.

[dazedpenguin]

Das to open. Allison in for Nijjar.

Rossington, Das, Pepper, Lawrence, Walter, Sams, Westley, Harmer, Beard, Allison, Cook

Sussex won the toss and put Essex in.

46/0 in the 5th which is a better start than recently.

[dazedpenguin]

Great to see Rossington come off with his highest T20 score and Westley get a 50. Not sure if 197 will be enough on this ground and with Philippe, Orr, Ravi and Alsop in the Sussex lineup.

[Niel01]

That is now 7 consecutive T20 Tosses which we have lost. Amazing. Think Simon Harmer May need to look more closely at the coin being used !!??

[nat]

Agent Sams fails again. The team did well to drag it back after a dodgy start to the bowling. Now for Mr Ingram tomorrow...

[dazedpenguin]

That is now 7 consecutive T20 Tosses which we have lost. Amazing. Think Simon Harmer May need to look more closely at the coin being used !!??

I blame the coaching :-)

I really didn't see that win coming after the start Sussex made, but it was great to see. Harmer pulled things back, Allison was impressive (a big contrast to earlier in the season) and Sams came back well from a disastrous start. So it looks like an away quarter final- probably against Warwickshire or Lancs?

[spirali]

Fine bowling performance in the end, managing to dry the runs up after Sussex had started out like an express train. Harmer exceptional, and good tight stuff from Sams after his first over had gone for 25, also from Allison who has sometimes looked like cannon fodder in earlier games. Definitely through to the QFs now.

[ytsejam1]

Great professional performance tonight, well done chaps. Excellent batting from Rossington and a ver6 good knock from Westley too gave us a defendable target and even though at halfway things were not looking good, the final 10 overs were our best bowling of the season so far. Harmer was brilliant and full marks too to Allison whom I have been critical of this season. He bowled some cracking Yorkers and pitched the ball up so much better than the first few matches he played.
QF’s now, which lets be honest, is further than most of us expected to get to, so any progress from them would be a big bonus.
Get Critchley back for that and we could achieve that “bonus”!!

[JasonP]

That is now 7 consecutive T20 Tosses which we have lost. Amazing. Think Simon Harmer May need to look more closely at the coin being used !!??

I blame the coaching :-)

I really didn't see that win coming after the start Sussex made, but it was great to see. Harmer pulled things back, Allison was impressive (a big contrast to earlier in the season) and Sams came back well from a disastrous start. So it looks like an away quarter final- probably against Warwickshire or Lancs?

Birmingham play Lancs in the last match and so it could easily be Derbyshire.

[kingstonj1]

So we are not such a bad side then...

Derbys would be a tough draw, Madsen is in the form of his life and Masood too (although think he will miss rest of blast as called up to Pakistan)

With Critchley back and if we had a competent o/s instead of the dire Sam's (o/s meant to be the crack player), we would have a chance, just imagine if we still had Ravi!

[SirChef26]

I was getting really annoyed at Dan Sams continuously bowling outside off stump pies to one of the best off stump players in county cricket, but he made up for it with a magnificent 19th over. Think tonight has confirmed for me that Lawrence needs to open once Critchley's back. Das will get another crack tomorrow but the reality is that he and the rest of the youngsters tried just aren't good enough to do it.

[spirali]

Birmingham play Lancs in the last match and so it could easily be Derbyshire

Possible, but unlikely. Lancs would have to lose that by about 100 runs to slip below Derbys on NRR.

[JasonP]

Birmingham play Lancs in the last match and so it could easily be Derbyshire

Possible, but unlikely. Lancs would have to lose that by about 100 runs to slip below Derbys on NRR.

Lancs are level on points with Derbyshire.  On current form Birmingham will probably beat them and so if Derby win against Durham they’ll likely finish second.

[spirali]

Yes, you're right. I thought Derby had played all their games, didn't realise they still had one to come.