Essex 211 for five (Pepper 120*, Allison 44*) beat Sussex 207 for two (Hughes 81, Clark 72*) by 5 wickets
Essex, needing to win their final three video games for a house quarter-final spot within the Vitality Blast, received off to a terrific begin with an unbelievable win over the Sussex Sharks by 5 wickets with 9 balls to spare.
Sussex had scored a powerful 207 for two. And Essex, who had chosen to bowl first, have been quickly set again on their heels when their flip got here to bat. Ollie Robinson broke by way of with solely the second ball of the innings, when he had the damaging Adam Rossington caught at deep square-leg. And when Tymal Mills introduced himself on for the fourth over he instantly bowled Dean Elgar for 11 to make it 30 for two.
Then, when Robinson was switched to the Cromwell Street Finish, he took wickets with every of his first two deliveries, having Robin Das caught behind after which dismissing Paul Walter, who was caught at extra-cover from a forefront. Essex seemed out of it at 90 for five within the tenth over. However Pepper, who had launched his innings with an assault on spinner James Coles, was already nicely into his innings and managed to take his unbelievable strike charge to 200 for the competitors this season. He has scored 488 runs at a median of 48 and this was his second hundred.
Sussex themselves wanted two wins out of three to win a house quarter-final spot. And for the second time in two days the their innings was primarily based round a dominant partnership. On Friday it was Tom Alsop and John Simpson, who placed on 139 in opposition to Kent. And in opposition to Essex it was Daniel Hughes and Tom Clark, who added 110 for the second wicket in simply 11 overs.
As soon as once more Sussex had made a quick begin, due to Hughes and Harrison Ward, who placed on 34 in simply 3.2 overs, earlier than Ward was caught at mid-off. However then Hughes specifically powered Sussex to one more massive rating, with an innings of 81 off 43 balls, with 5 sixes and eight fours, putting at a charge of 188 to take his complete to 435 runs within the competitors this season.
Twice in a single over Hughes hitting Shane Snater over lengthy leg for six to carry up his fifty off solely 26 balls. On the midway stage Sussex have been 94 for 1 after which Hughes raised the hundred by hitting leg-spinner Matt Critchley for an enormous six over mid-on.
On the different finish, on a barely gradual pitch, Clark didn’t discover his timing early on. However after putting Walter over nice leg for six his tempo elevated and he completed with an unbeaten 72 from 53 balls, with eight fours and two sixes. The in-form Alsop hit a brilliant 27 not out off 14, together with a powerful six over midwicket off Snater. However it could not be sufficient.
