Rain is NOT a pain as Sussex Sharks get out of jail in Essex clash

Faced with an Essex side stacked with talented individuals but bottom of the South Group with five straight defeats, Sussex were hunting a fourth win from five.

They never got going against an aggressive top order of Dean Elgar (33 off 18), Cox (82) and Paul Walter (35 off 22), however, and only a late comeback saw them restrict Essex to 177-4 from 17 overs.

The Sharks then slid to 23-3 with some sloppy dismissals, including a double-wicket maiden for Shane Snater, and with rain returning after a two-hour interval of cricket, the hosts were saved.

Sussex coach Paul Farbrace said: "We got away with one tonight. It's been one of those nights - experienced players getting things wrong, it shows the ups and downs of T20 cricket. For three of our four games we've played really good cricket so the support the boys showed for each other after what was a tough night has been important.

"Essex played an amazing game. Jordan Cox batted superbly and then took an outstanding catch. It was their best performance so far and the rain has ended up frustrating them and helping us."

After a scorching hot afternoon, everything was set for a pulsating cricketing evening in Hove. Except, the weather had a twist in store. The forecast thunderstorms had waited until ten minutes before the scheduled 7pm start to interrupt the post-work conviviality, and thus, the main entertainment was delayed.

Belying a rather miserable forecast for the remainder of the night, the rain relented around 45 minutes later, and the match began with a reduced 17-over format.

Sussex had won the toss before the delay and opted to field, with memories of Essex’s barnstorming chase of 211-5 in 18.3 overs last July no doubt strong in their mind.

The mastermind of that pursuit, Michael Pepper, surged to England selection off the back of his 120 from 53 balls on that Hove afternoon, but could not recreate that form in a dismal start.

He lasted just five balls on this occasion before hoiking Nathan McAndrew on the on side to a backtracking Henry Crocombe, and departed for four runs.

Immediately after these heroics, however, Sussex skipper Tymal Mills imploded. The ex-England paceman served up a bouncer to Dean Elgar to begin, which was called a wide for height, and followed up with a no ball.

Four fours followed, with a dot ball in between, and when Mills attempted to escape the over, another bouncer slipped from his left hand and he was dismissed from the crease by the umpires. Regulations demanded that Mills also be banned from bowling for the rest of the match, with his five balls having cost 21 runs.

The next over, Mills had the chance to send new batsman Cox packing without scoring, but a relatively simple chance slipped free as he charged into the close infield. Sussex and Mills would live to rue that chance, as Essex did not offer any further freebies.

Despite some canny bowling from Ollie Robinson, Nathan McAndrew and Henry Crocombe, Sussex were too inconsistent in their rhythm and fielding to apply any real pressure.

Jack Carson conceded 30 runs – including four successive sixes – all to Cox in his first over, while James Coles offered up a pitiful full toss in the 10th over which Paul Walter clattered out of the ground.

Carson’s filfthy over aside, the majority of runs spewed from the Sea End, with Elgar, then Cox and Walter, comfortable dispatching Sussex’s bowlers back down the ground, particularly on the on side.

After Cox and Walter’s 115-run partnership finally ended in the 15th over, with Crocombe pinning Walter LBW with some late seam movement, the onslaught finally relented.

Miserly death bowling from Crocombe (2-28, 10 runs in his last two overs) and Robinson (three runs in his last over) restricted the visitors to 177-4, giving Sussex a glimmer of hope.

Even better than the death bowling for Sussex’s hopes was the near-definite prediction of more rain, and after some disastrous batting, this fortunately delivered.

The Sharks lost Harrison Ward first ball to a Shane Snater snorter, and then John Simpson to mistimed shot to third man Mohammad Amir in a double-wicket maiden, before James Coles (5) nicked behind to Cox in Snater’s second over.

While Tom Alsop signalled his intent with a big six into the Sharks Stand, that was the last hurrah either side mustered before the wet stuff returned.

Sussex were 23-3 after 3.1 overs and stood no chance of victory, so were incredibly grateful for their point as they walked out of a sodden 1st Central County Ground.

They have little time to reflect, however, with a trip to Glamorgan today (Saturday 14th) as they start at 6:30pm in Cardiff.

Sussex will begin the match 2nd in the South Group after their two points for a draw, but with Glamorgan only two points behind in 5th, it makes for a crucial game not even halfway through the Blast campaign.