Festival cricket has been at its most obdurate here. Almost washed away on Thursday, nearly blown away on Friday, and kicked in the coffers every day, it still survived to present an exciting finish before an appreciative crowd. Even the sun came out at the end.
Horsham's stoics deserved some decent action on the final day of this important Division One fixture, and they received it, as Sussex roundly outplayed Surrey. The home side, set 22 to win from a minimum of six overs, won by 10 wickets with 25 balls to spare.
This Surrey side abound with talent. But they have won one game with the season half gone – against Sussex in their opening match – and unless they find some form soon they will be fighting relegation. Trailing by 227 on the first innings, they were within a few overs of saving the game when James Anyon took the last wicket, bowling the determined Rory Hamilton-Brown for 47. Surrey's top order has been inconsistent and they are in need of an opening batsman, having tried five combinations in eight matches.
Resuming on 39 for one, Surrey lost their first wicket when the nightwatchman Stuart Meaker, inside-edged Steve Magoffin into his stumps. The recalled Mark Ramprakash again looked diffident, a shadow of his imperious past. He survived long enough to play himself in but as soon as he had done so he was out for 37, lbw as he attempted to sweep Monty Panesar.
Sussex missed the chance of another breakthrough just before lunch when Chris Nash, at short leg, dropped Zander de Bruyn off Magoffin. It was not an expensive mistake. De Bruyn, dropped on 16 had added only five runs when – like Ramprakash – he was lbw attempting to sweep Panesar.
Steven Davies struck some pleasing drives and there were five fours in his 35 before he edged Panesar to Michael Yardy at slip. Encouraged by Panesar's success, Yardy opted for twirl from both ends and in his first over, Nash had Tom Maynard lbw.
Surrey were looking bad and soon they looked shambolic. Gareth Batty drove to wide mid-on and set off for a single. But he had not spotted that his captain, Hamilton-Brown, was going nowhere, and by the time he had conveyed that message to Batty it was too late for him to make up his ground and he was comfortably run out.
With Panesar and Nash in comfortable control, it was a small surprise that Yardy took the new ball, at 179 for six, 10 minutes before tea. But by now the Surrey batsmen looked equally hesitant against pace and spin. At tea they were 183 for seven. Murali Kartik, swinging, was bowled by the impressive Anyon and Jonathan Lewis looked unhappy to be given out caught behind off Nash. But Jade Dernbach resisted for almost half an hour to take Surrey to the brink of safety before the fall of Hamilton-Brown.
The only bad news for Sussex is that Queensland have asked for the return of Australian fast bowler Magoffin.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Sussex beat Surrey by ten wickets at Horsham - wscountytimes.co.uk
Sussex wrapped-up a ten wicket County Championship win against Surrey at Horsham today in a tense finish.
Ed Joyce and Chris Nash guided Sussex to the win after they had been set 22 runs to win from the final six overs of the match when Surrey were dismissed for 248 in their second innings.
Surrey had started the day 39-1, but Sussex chipped away throughout the day, with wickets at regular intervals.
They were 183-7 at tea, before Murali Kartik, who had gotten away with some big heaves, saw his middle stump sent cartwheeling by Jimmy Anyon with Surrey still 30 runs short of making Sussex bat again.
New batsman Jon Lewis dug in alongside his skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown and eked Surrey towards to final hour of play, but Sussex introduced Chris Nash for a second spell, and in his second over, the Horsham boy teased the thinnest of edges from Lewis to set up an enthralling finish. Anyon then wrapped up the Surrey innings when he emphatically ripped Hamilton-Brown’s off-stump out of the ground, it meant needed 22 runs off six overs in their second innings to secure the win.
Nash and Joyce wasted little time in racing to their victory target, with Joyce hooking one enormous six off Lewis into the Barrack Field, to see Sussex home with four overs to spare.
Email to a friend
Print this pageSource: www.wscountytimes.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment