Dramatic final four overs cost Glos as they slip to three wicket Sussex defeat
26 June 2015
Gloucestershire conceded 71 runs in a catastrophic last four overs to slip to a three wicket defeat to Sussex at Bristol.
An incredible 111 not out from Luke Wright coupled with some poor bowling cost them the chance to leapfrog the Sharks and regain a quarter final qualification place in the NatWest T20 Blast South Group.
With 24 balls remaining and Sussex on 117-6, Michael Klinger’s men looked home and dry after taking regular wickets throughout the innings.
But 21 off Kieran Noema-Barnett in the 17th over followed by 34 from a 19th over that was started by James Fuller and finished by Craig Miles put paid to hopes of a home win.
Fuller, who had earlier picked up the first two Sussex wickets had to be removed from the action with one ball remaining of his over due to two waist high no balls.
To watch Michael Klinger's post match interview click below
With nine needed in the final over Jack Taylor was faced with a thankless task as Wright continued his heroics hitting the winning runs with a ball to spare, finishing on 111 from just 56 balls including seven fours, eight sixes.
Earlier Klinger led from the front again with 61 as Gloucestershire posted their second highest home total in this year’s NatWest T20 Blast 185-4.
The Australian – who has now made a remarkable 518 runs at an average of 172- shared an opening partnership of 88 with Hamish Marshall (37), who was making a welcome return after four games out with a calf injury.
Having struggled to 37-1 in the power play overs v Somerset in Marshall’s absence last time out, the pair put things right with the 50 partnership coming up off the last ball of the sixth over.
The introduction of spin slowed Glos up but it was a burst of pace that got the first breakthrough. The return of Tymal Mills in the 11th over saw him pick up the wicket of Marshall for 37 (off 27 balls) as he miscued a pull to Luke Wight at mid-on.
This brought the in-form Ian Cockbain to the crease and he wasted no time getting into the action, racing to 24 with three sixes off Yardy (0-41 from 3) in the 13th over – one over midwicket and two over long off.
Klinger was once again looking imperious until he fell in the 15th over for 61, skying Chris Liddle (1-37) straight up in the air for a good diving catch to be taken by wicketkeeper Craig Cachopa.
Cockbain was chopped on to Mills (2-31) for 30 in the seventeenth over but Benny Howell (25*), Jones (16) and Noema-Barnett (5*) helped them reach 185-4. Will Beer proved the most economical with four overs for 24.
In reply, Glos got off to a great start as Fuller trapped Nash LBW with the third ball of the innings.
And he followed it up with the wicket of Machan in his next over, caught by Klinger at cover off a leading edge for 5 to make it 13-2.
Wright and Cachopa added 36 for the third wicket before the wicketkeeper became Tom Smith’s 17th victim of an impressive Blast campaign, caught at long off by Peter Handscomb for 18.
This brought former Australia T20 captain George Bailey to the crease for the first time in a Sussex shirt.
With Wright looking in increasingly good touch at the other end the game still hung in the balance.
The pair moved the score on to 80 before Bailey (12) toed a low full toss from Howell to a diving Marshall coming in from the deep mid-wicket boundary.
Smith (2-32) and Howell (2-37) removed Finch (8) and Beer (9) respectively to reduce Sussex to 117-6 after 16.
But with Wright now in full flow, Glos capitulated in the face of some fine striking from Wright who went from 50 to 100 in the space four overs to lead his side home to the unlikeliest of victories.
