Half centuries by Colin Ingram and Eddie Byrom, plus a career-best return of 4/25 by Zain ul Hassan helped Glmaorgan to a four-wicket victory against the Sussex Sharks in their Metro Bank One-Day Cup match at Hove.
After their defeat in an enthralling match at Neath against Warwickshire, the Welsh county travelled to the South Coast to meet a Sussex team who on Thursday defeated Somerset at Taunton thanks to a century by Cheteshawar Pujara. Glamorgan made three changes to their line-up as they welcomed back Colin Ingram who strained a calf muscle last weekend at Derby, as well as Prem Sisodiya and Jamie McIlroy who shared the new ball with Timm van der Gugten with Harrison Ward and Tom Haines opening the batting after the Sharks opted to bat first on the dry and used pitch.
The new ball pairing, bowling with three slips, beat the bat on several occasions before Haines cover-drove McIlroy for the day’s first boundary. Ward then harpooned van der Gugten for six over mid-wicket before Haines on-drove McIlroy followed next ball by a square-cut for another four. Haines also straight-drove van der Gugten before Ward flicked a pair of deliveries from McIlroy to the ropes at fine-leg followed by a lofted drive over mid-on against the Dutch international, plus a drive to mid-wicket to bring up the fifty and to end the powerplays on 50-0.
Ben Kellaway then entered the attack at the Cromwell Road End with Kiran Carlson operating at the Sea End. Ward swept the latter for four but in Kellaway’s next over, Haines attempted an ambitious single to Carlson in the covers but it resulted in War being run out. 62-1 then became 63-2 as Tom Alsop chopped a ball from Carlson onto his stumps as Pujara joined his captain. His arrival prompted Sisodiya’s introduction into the attack with Haines straight-driving the left-arm spinner for four before slog-sweeping Kellaway for four.
Zain ul Hassan then replaced Kellaway and was flicked to fine-leg by Pujara before being cut to point by Haines as he completed his fifty from 68 balls. But the all-rounder gained revenge by bowling Haines with a slower, full length delivery as Sussex lost their third wicket on 110. Tom Clark was the new batter and pushed the ball around for one’s and two’s as Carlson and Kellaway returned to the attack. The change did the trick as, with the total on 127, Clark got a leading edge against Carlson and spooned the ball to Kellaway at short mid-wicket.
James Coles joined Pujara who continued to quietly accumulate but, a dozen runs later and with Pujara on 26, van der Gugten returned to the attack and found the edge of the Indian’s bat only for a diving Horton to spill the chance. It did not though prove to be expensive as next over Pujara drilled Carlson back to the bowler’s right with the Glamorgan captain completing a smart diving catch. Fynn Hudson-Prentice joined Coles with the pair continuing to be restricted to one’s and two’s by the trio of visiting spinners.
Coles broke the stranglehold by lofting Carlson to long-on for four as Sussex reached the 200-mark in the 42nd over before swatting successive balls from Sisodiya over extra-cover and to wide long-on. He continued to up the tempo by sweeping Kellaway for four en route to completing a 48-ball fifty. His aggression rubbed off on Hudson-Prentice who slog-swept Sisodiya for six before drilling him inside-out over extra-cover for four. He then repeated the flamboyant stroke when McIlroy returned to the fray, followed by another blow to mid-wicket to reach fifty from 42 balls.
Their century stand then came up, although Hudson-Prentice was fortunate to survive a difficult chance at mid-wicket where a diving Carlson failed to hold onto the ball as his elbows struck the turf. The all-rounder celebrated his good fortune by hoisting van der Gugten for six over deep square-leg. After surviving a very close appeal for run out, Coles miscued a drive against ul Hassan into the hands of van der Gugten at short third man.255-6 saw Oli Carter join Hudson-Prentice who continued to play some lusty swipes until, in the penultimate over losing his middle stump to ul Hassan who then claimed a fourth wicket as Carter reverse-pulled the all-rounder into the hands of Sisodiya at short third man. Henry Crocombe was then run out by Horton attempting to run a bye off the penultimate ball before Sussex ended on 276-9.
Hudson-Prentice, who shared the new ball with Sean Hunt, made an early incision as, with his second ball, he bowled Tom Bevan. 1-1 could have been 5-2 as Ward at point could not cling onto a fierce cut from Ingram. Eddie Byrom began with a steer through the covers against Hunt before Ingram launched Hudson-Prentice over wide long-on for a huge six. The South African then clipped Hunt to fine-leg for four before drilling the next delivery through the covers for four.
Byrom then greeted the introduction of Henry Crocombe by cover-driving the seamer for two fours as well as a flick to fine-leg as Glamorgan ended the powerplays on 51-1. Jack Carson’s off-spin was then employed at the Sea End and was swept for a pair of fours by Byrom. The boundaries continued to flow as Ingram nurdled Crocombe for four before Byrom clipped him to the ropes at fine-leg. The Zimbabwean greeted the introduction of Ward’s off-spin by deftly nurdling him for four prior to reverse-sweeping Carson. Ingram also swept Carson for four to bring up the 100 before Byrom completed his 50 from 56 balls, with the only worries being a fire alarm which led to the temporary evacuation of the stand at the Sea End, as well as the Media Centre.
Hudson-Prentice returned to the attack in a bid to break the stand and was pulled for four by Byrom before Ingram completed his fifty by sweeping Ward for four - his 53rd delivery - with Byrom, later in the over, repeating the stroke. Ingram then greeted the return of Hunt, the left-arm seamer, by striking the first three balls of his over for four in an arc between deep cover and backward point. But the introduction of James Coles’ left-arm twirl ended Byrom’s stay as he was bowled attempting a sweep. 146-2 saw the arrival of Sam Northeast who began by driving Coles over mid-on for four before sweeping Carson for six. But with the total on 170 Ingram swept Carson into the hands of Crocombe at deep mid-wicket.
With 107 needed in 20 overs, Carlson joined Northeast and started with an on-drive for four against Coles, followed by a slog-sweep for six but, with the total on 192, he advanced down the wicket to Carson and was bowled. Ben Kellaway began with a reverse-sweep for against the off-spinner, followed by another against the left-arm twirl of Coles as well as driving him inside-out over extra-cover as the equation became 66 off 13 overs. With Northeast dropping anchor, Kellaway then drove Ward over mid-on for four and six before sweeping a full toss from Coles to the long-leg boundary. But next ball he attempted another expansive legside blow and was bowled.
230-5 saw the arrival of Horton, plus the return of Crocombe to the attack, with Horton biffing Coles through mid-off before reverse-sweeping him through the hands of the slip fielder. Hudson-Prentice also returned in the closing powerplay and trapped Horton l.b.w. Northeast was joined by ul Hassan with the pair pushing the ball around for one’s and two’s, before ul Hassan pulled Crocombe for a pair of fours plus a huge six over deep backward square-leg. The batter then hooked Hudson-Prentice for four as Glamorgan reached their target midway through the 47th over to maintain their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the competition.