Essex 204-6 (20 overs)
Sussex 104 (17.3 overs)
Essex won by 100 runs
Skipper Simon Harmer had a night to remember as Essex Eagles boosted their hopes of progress in the Vitality Blast with a 100-run thrashing of Sussex Sharks at Hove.
Harmer plundered 31 off the final over bowled by Henry Crocombe – who announced on Wednesday (1 July) that he is joining Surrey at the end of the season – to help swell the Essex total to 204-6.
Sam Cook picked up three wickets in the powerplay on his way to an impressive return of 4-7 as Sussex slumped to 34-5 before Harmer finished with 2-16 in four overs of accurate left-arm spin and ran out Danny Briggs by deflecting a straight drive from Tom Alsop on to the non-striker’s stumps.
Sussex were bowled out for 104 in 17.3 overs and have now failed to bat their 20 overs in six of their nine games this season.
At the end of the 17th over, Sussex would have been happy to have contained Essex to 141-5 on a two-paced pitch.
But Crocombe conceded 15 off the 18th and skipper Tymal Mills went for 17 in the 19th as Harmer and Shane Snater upped the ante by hitting 41 off the last nine balls.
After Crocombe bowled a wide at the start of the fateful final over Harmer went 6-4-4-6-6-4, swinging him over the short leg-side boundary for all three sixes.
It was the second-most expensive over by a Sussex bowler in Blast history – only Michael Yardy (34) has conceded more.
Before Harmer’s onslaught Sussex had done a good containing job, although several Essex batters got out when they seemed well set.
Michael Pepper helped Charlie Allison add 54 after the early loss of Paul Walter, contributing 47 from 29 balls before he sliced Briggs to backward point.
Allison made 20 but was dropped twice and Luc Benkenstein hit 26 but Harmer and Shane Snater’s onslaught left Sussex utterly deflated and their chances of winning had evaporated at the end of the third over when they were 19-3.
Cook picked up both openers Harrison Ward and Dan Hughes to catches on the leg-side boundary in his first over then George Thomas was superbly held by Benkenstein trying to clear the wide long-on boundary.
Cook and Snater bowled nine dot balls in a row after the fall of the third wicket to turn the screw and Cook had his third wicket when John Simpson was caught in the covers.
Seamer Mackenzie Jones, making his first appearance of the season, removed Oli Carter and Jack Carson.
Harmer was on a hat-trick after he took a fine running catch off his own bowling to remove Alsop, who top-scored with 35 for a Sussex team who have now lost seven of their nine games.
Sam Cook, who took a career-best 4-7 for the visitors, said: “It was a really dominant display. We knew coming into this last block of games we needed to win three or four and it’s important for us now to take momentum into the remaining games.
“It was incredible ball-striking by the skipper at the end – a phenomenal display of batting on a tricky surface. The momentum was incredible and we took that into our bowling.
“It was nice to get that wicket with my first ball after coming back into the team. We just kept taking wickets throughout and that really contributed to a pleasing win.”
Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace said: “There is a lack of confidence in our T20 cricket at the moment and people are playing with mixed minds.
“When you are muddled in your thinking and lack confidence that’s a recipe for bad cricket. But we mustn’t chuck the towel in now for the last three games.
“We have got to play well in them, show some pride and some guts. I can accept losing but when you don’t do the basics well and contribute to your own downfall then that is hard to take.”
