Chasing 161 runs from their 20 overs, Gloucestershire cruised to a five-wicket victory over the hapless Sussex Sharks in the T20 Blast.
An assured sixth-wicket partnership between James Bracey and Jack Taylor took the visitors home, with Bracey hitting 23 off 20 balls and Taylor smashing a blockbuster 26 from 10 balls.
Defeat ended Sussex’s slim chances of qualification for T20 finals day. Gloucestershire also miss out.
Defending a low score, the Sharks started strong. In the second over, seam bowler Ari Karvelas foxed visiting captain Miles Hammond. The opener top-edged a good-length ball to Brad Currie, who took the catch at gully.
In a counter-attacking knock, Hammond’s opening partner Grant Roelofsen slammed 30 runs from 13 balls before he too was caught by Currie at mid-off off the bowling of Nathan McAndrew.
One dot-ball after his first wicket, McAndrew took another, pinning Ben Wells lbw with a quick, in-swinging delivery.
Despite his two wickets, McAndrew was targeted throughout the Gloucestershire innings. He leaked 31 runs from his three overs and five balls.
With his side in desperate need of runs, Ben Charlesworth dug in, plundering singles before he was bowled by all-rounder Fynn Hudson-Prentice for a 31-ball 34. Looking to up the ante, Charlesworth aimed a mighty heave to the leg side and completely missed a straight delivery.
Yet, from there, the visitors claimed control. Despite dismissing the excellent Graeme van Buuren lbw, leg-spinner Shadab Khan’s final over went for 18 runs, all but guaranteeing a Gloucestershire victory.
Earlier, the visitors landed the opening blows of the game, taking three wickets in the powerplay as the Sharks finished their first six overs with 49 runs for the loss of three wickets. England international David Payne struck first, removing Tom Clark with a fast full delivery that trapped the opener lbw from his first ball.
A couple of overs later, number three batter Oli Carter joined his team-mate in the sheds when he was bowled attempting a slog off the bowling of Ajeet Singh Dale.
Pacemen Singh Dale struck again in the sixth over, dismissing Sharks captain Ravi Bopara, who spooned a full ball to close fielder Ben Charlesworth.
The only Sharks batter to offer any meaningful resistance in the opening overs was left-hander Harrison Ward. With wickets falling around him, Ward kept the pressure on Gloucestershire, clipping Payne for twin boundaries in front of square before pulling the last ball of the fifth over for a massive six.
When Shadab Khan gifted a catch back to off-spinner Tom Smith in the seventh over, Ward was joined by wicket-keeper Michael Burgess.
Together, the pair rebuilt the Sussex innings, combining for a much needed 64-run partnership before Ward mistimed a slog sweep off Smith’s bowling and was caught in the deep. He made 54 runs from 45 balls.
Burgess preferred the spin, reverse-sweeping consecutive Smith deliveries for four in the 13th over.
Following Ward’s wicket, the Sharks batting order collapsed. Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Nathan McAndrew fell to consecutive Graeme van Buuren deliveries in the 17th over. The former stumped, the latter bowled by a quick flat delivery.
Off-spinner van Buuren was undoubtedly Gloucestershire’s best bowler, conceding only 13 runs from his four overs while taking two vital wickets.
Payne and Shaw returned at the death to claim the wickets of Tymal Mills and Ari Karvelas respectively but were unable to stop a determined Michael Burgess.
In an action-packed final over, Burgess claimed fifty with a crisp drive before crunching the innings’ two final balls for six.
After the game, Burgess, who finished 64 not out off 37 balls, said: “The last six, seven games have been really good and competitive. We had a bit of a sniff coming into the game to qualify.
“I think 160 on that pitch was a good enough score. We’re obviously disappointed. And now we’re definitely out of this competition. I think we would have liked to make a few teams sweat tomorrow.
“At the start of the tournament there were a lot of people putting pressure on themselves individually. I know I was certainly desperate to perform. People got to the stage where there was almost a no care attitude with the batting.
“The lads have been amazing in the last seven games so obviously we’re all gutted but I think it shows a lot moving into next year for the club.”
Burgess, who previously played for Sussex from 2017 to 2019, has been playing in the T20 Blast on loan from Warwickshire.
“I’ve loved being back down here. I’ve not hidden that I think Sussex is a very special place. I’ve got a lot of fond memories here so if Sussex want me back to play T20, I’d love to. All I know is that the last month has been incredibly enjoyable and I’ve loved coming back to Hove.”
Now out of the T20 Blast, Sussex’s next fixture is in the County Championship, at home to Derbyshire, starting on Monday 10 July.
