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    Home quarter final hinges on Hampshire result

    17 August 2018

    Gloucestershire's hopes of finishing first or second in the South Group of the Vitality T20 Blast - and thereby earning a home quarter final - now depend on their final group game against Hampshire at Southampton after they were beaten by Sussex at the Brightsde Ground on Thursday.

    Batting first after winning the toss Gloucestershire made 159-9, Michael Klinger top scoring with 59. Aside from the Australian's half century, his third of the tournament, only Miles Hammond (29) and Kieran Noema-Barnett (25) reached double figures.

    In reply, an aggressive 60 from Philip Salt, made in 30 balls, put Sussex ahead of the clock until debutant Jacob Lintott took two wickets with successive deliveries. Benny Howell repeated the feat in the 16th over but Sussex were close enough to their target to wrap up a four wicket victory with one over to spare.

    The result leaves Gloucestershire in third place in South Group behind Kent on net run rate after their win over Somerset. 

    Watch Jacob Lintott reflecting on his Gloucestershire debut here:

     

    Gloucestershire made one change from the team which defeated Surrey, with 25 year old Jacob Lintott making his debut in place of the unavailable Tom Smith, and skipper Michael Klinger decided to bat first after winning the toss.

    The closest finishes at the Brightside Ground this season have been with scores above 170 by the side batting first, but on this occasion Gloucestershire couldn't get there against a strong Sussex attack.

    The powerplay was promising enough, Miles Hammond powerfully driving Archer both square and straight in the third over. A top edge took his boundary tally to five and after cutting Rashid Khan to point, the Afghan leg spinner broke the opening stand in unusual fashion as Hammond was stumped off a leg side wide for 29.

    The telling statistic after Hammond was out surrounded the number of boundaries in the remaining overs, with just nine registered along with a six apiece to Klinger and Noema-Barnett. Their stand of 56 in 6.2 overs was achieved with careful shot placement more than brut force, and credit for that has to go to the Sussex attack whose most expensive over cost only 14 runs. 

    Cockbain and Howell had departed cheaply before Noema-Barnett and Klinger tried to set a platform for a late onslaught, although having picked an extra bowler Sussex captain Danny Briggs kept juggling his options and splitting Rashid Khan's spell kept checking Gloucestershire's progress. He finished with 3-24, bowling Noema-Barnett in his last over just after he had been pulled for four to mid wicket.

    Klinger reached his fifty off Mills in the 18th over from 45 balls, a typically resiliant effort that gave Gloucestershire a workmanlike total to defend, although he too was part of a clatter of late wickets, five of them falling for 17 runs in the final two overs.

    Defending the smallest score by a team batting first at the Brightside Ground this season Gloucestershire needed a good start, either with early wickets or tight bowling, and preferably both. What they ran into was Philip Salt playing the Miles Hammond role at the top of the Sussex order, and a flurry of boundaries followed.

    We'll never know what might have happened had Andrew Tye held a steepling catch in the first over off David Payne at long on. He never got into a steady position to take it, and it went to ground.  Salt had already struck two fours, and two later overs in the powerplay each cost 14 runs as Sussex chased not only the points but an improved net run rate.

    Salt reached his half century from only 27 balls in the ninth over, edging past 'keeper Roderick and whipping Howell over square leg for six before Hammond safely pouched a catch at deep mid wicket. Harry Finch's share in the first wicket of 85 was a modest 24, and he hung around while Jacob Lintott's wrist spin raised Gloucestershire's hopes.

    This was the 25 year old's second T20 match at county level - he played one game for Hampshire last year - and thrown the ball with Sussex more than halfway to their target, he had Laurie Evans caught by Klinger at extra cover before bowlling Delray Rawlins, both in his first over. David Wiese avoided the hat trick, and then bided his time to punch Lintott down the ground for four and into the pavilion sight screen for six.

    His partnership of 49 with Finch looked like taking Sussex to victory with some comfort until Howell, in his last over, also claimed two wickets in two balls. A well judged catch at long on by Jack Taylor accounted for Wiese (38) and with the batsmen having crossed, Finch was caught behind for 33, made from 36 balls and with only three fours. 

    It was left to Jordan and Burgess to seal victory once Archer was caught by 'keeper Roderick off Payne, and both teams know Friday's final games still have a lot riding on them with the make-up of the quarter finals still far from clear.
     

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