Stephen Eskinazi 94* in useless as Sussex maintain Middlesex winless
Sussex 181 for 8 (Shadab 59, Hollman 2-30) beat Middlesex 177 for five (Eskinazi 94*, McAndrew 2-34) by 4 runs
Stephen Eskinazi‘s 94 proved in useless as Middlesex went down by 4 runs to Sussex at Lord’s to set an undesirable report of eight successive defeats.
Seaxes skipper Eskinazi batted all through the chase for 182 however needing to hit the final ball from Tymal Mills for six he swung and missed, leaving Sussex the victors. It means 12 successive defeats in T20 for the boys of Lord’s.
Sussex, for whom this was simply the second win of the marketing campaign, owed a lot to Pakistan worldwide Shadab Khan‘s 59 from 30 balls, throughout which he shared a fourth-wicket stand of 91 with veteran skipper Ravi Bopara, a report for the southcoast outfit towards Middlesex within the Vitality Blast. Luke Hollman and Ryan Higgins have been the decide of the house assault with two wickets apiece.
Middlesex initially held sway within the powerplay, eradicating Michael Burgess and Tom Alsop cheaply. The former’s scratchy effort ended when he nicked Josh de Caires to Jack Davies and there was a second catch for the wicketkeeper when Alsop tried to ramp Martin Andersson.
Tom Clark twice swung Andersson over the ropes however ought to have been caught trying the hat-trick just for Higgins to drop a dolly at midwicket. And the opener was given one other life when he charged Hollman just for Davies to overlook the stumping.
Higgins atoned partly for the drop when he bowled Clark quickly afterwards, however wicket-taking balls had been wasted and that proved pricey when Shadab and Bopara went on the offensive. Shadab was particularly belligerent with two wonderful straight hits amongst his 5 sixes as he sped to 50 in 24 balls, together with his skipper, as he has carried out so usually at Lord’s, Bopara proving a wonderful foil.
Shadab ultimately slashed Higgins to Andersson on the purpose fence to spark a mini collapse which additionally witnessed the tip of Bopara, however James Coles employed the lengthy deal with to good impact because the guests posted an imposing rating.
The hosts made one other poor begin when Joe Cracknell lobbed Fynn Hudson-Prentice’s first ball to mid-on’s palms, however three successive fours from Eskinazi in Henry Crocombe’s first over gave them some impetus. Eye in, Eskinazi flat-batted Mills over level for six as 60 got here from the powerplay.
Eskinazi raced to 50 in 31 balls with a six and 5 fours and Pieter Malan caught the temper, pulling Mills into the Tavern Stand hospitality bins. Bopara, in a usually frugal spell, ended a stand of 85 when he bowled Malan for 36, however 79 have been wanted from the ultimate 48 balls.
Max Holden was reprieved on 4 when dropped at cowl solely to gap out at midwicket off Nathan McAndrew with 43 wanted however successive fours from new man Jack Davies stored the hosts within the hunt. Two extra fours from the wicketkeeper’s flashing blade off the costly Mills left 21 wanted from the ultimate two overs and when Eskinazi lapped McAndrew that elusive win regarded in sight.
Davies although departed to an excellent catch by Clark on the mid-off fence and 12 off the final over proved too many.