Vitality Blast – Michael Pepper 120* helps Essex shake up South Group

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, bought off to a terrific begin with an inconceivable win over the Sussex Sharks by 5 wickets with 9 balls to spare.

Sussex had scored a formidable 207 for two. And Essex, who had chosen to bowl first, had been quickly set again on their heels when their flip got here to bat. Ollie Robinson broke via with solely the second ball of the innings, when he had the harmful 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 vanguard. Essex regarded 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 properly into his innings and managed to take his unimaginable strike charge to 200 for the competitors this season. He has scored 488 runs at a mean 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 based mostly round a dominant partnership. On Friday it was Tom Alsop and John Simpson, who placed on 139 towards Kent. And towards 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, because of Hughes and Harrison Ward, who placed on 34 in simply 3.2 overs, earlier than Ward was caught at mid-off. However then Hughes particularly powered Sussex to yet one more huge rating, with an innings of 81 off 43 balls, with 5 sixes and eight fours, placing at a charge of 188 to take his whole to 435 runs within the competitors this season.

Twice in a single over Hughes hitting Shane Snater over lengthy leg for six to convey up his fifty off solely 26 balls. On the midway stage Sussex had 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 sluggish pitch, Clark didn’t discover his timing early on. However after placing Walter over effective 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 shiny 27 not out off 14, together with a powerful six over midwicket off Snater. However it will not be sufficient.