Report: Sussex v Warwickshire, One Day Cup

Warwickshire continued their perfect start to the Metro Bank One Day Cup as they made it three wins out of three in five days on the road.

But they made hard work of this victory, scraping home by one wicket after looking clear favourites, having dismissed Sussex for an under-par 173. 

Bears fell to 76 for five to put the match in the balance.  And then, with the job done once more, lost three wickets with the score on 149 to set up a nail-biting finale, before last man Oliver Hannon-Dalby edged Jack Carson for two to win the game.

Warwickshire were runaway favourites after dismissing Sussex in just 35 overs.  But Sussex broke through in the third over, when Rob Yates skied Ari Karvelas to backward square-leg.

It was 13 for two in the sixth when Ed Barnard edged Henry Crocombe to the keeper and 27 for three when Hamza Shaikh lifted the same bowler to mid-on.

Once again the bowlers were on top. Former Sussex player Michael Burgess was lbw to Fynn Hudson-Prentice for 11 and when Karvelas yorked Chris Benjamin for 12 the Bears were struggling at 76 for five after 19 overs.

But then a partnership of 73 in 16 overs between Will Rhodes and Kai Smith put Warwickshire in charge once more. 

Rhodes played solidly for an obdurate 60 from 102 deliveries.  And Smith took the attack to the bowlers for a run-a-ball 44.  But then Smith mishit to mid-off and Hudson-Prentice produced a double-wicket maiden next over, dismissing Rhodes and Michael Booth. 

When Tazeem Ali was ninth out at 168 Bears still needed six runs, but Jake Lintott and Hannon-Dalby held firm to see their side over the line.

Warwickshire decided to bowl first but captain Barnard must have reflected on his choice after Sussex openers Tom Clark and Tom Haines put on 70 in the first 10-over powerplay. 

But Sussex then lost all ten wickets for 72 runs in 25 overs.

Neither Clark (32) nor Haines (38) were able to build on a promising beginning, both falling lbw to Booth, who generated some nippy pace bowling up the hill from the sea end. 

Returning to the Warwickshire team – along with Yates – Booth was the quickest and most threatening of the Warwickshire bowlers.  He dismissed Clark with the last ball of his first over, Haines with the second ball of his third.  And when Oli Carter ran himself for 11 the match had changed shape.

There would be no substantial recovery. Hudson-Prentice, Danial Ibrahim and John Simpson all failed to make double figures, although the very promising Henry Rogers scored an unbeaten 25 as he attempted to shepherd the tail. 

Will Rhodes said: “It was a great game for the neutral – and a great game for us.  It’s great to win games by eight wickets, like we did on Friday.  But you probably learn more about your team in games like this.  Great day, sunny day, lovely crowd and a great ground to come to, and we’ve got two points to take away on the bus with us.

“It was tough out there. They bowled really well. John Simpson has played a lot of cricket and his captaincy was excellent. We didn’t know what a good score was really. We knew it was nipping around and we knew it would be tough work, but not that tough. 

“This is a competition I’ve really enjoyed in recent years.  I feel we’ve got a good team.  The club has been fantastic to me for six or seven years and it would be nice to repay them with another trophy and go out on a high.”