Gloucestershire 311 defeated Sussex 145 by 166 runs (J Taylor 106, O Price 95, Crocombe 4-63).
In the Metro Bank One Day Cup, Gloucestershire, led by Ollie Price and Jack Taylor, improved their net run rate and won their fifth game in a row by defeating the Sussex Sharks by 166 runs at the 1st Central County Ground in Hove.
This was Sussex’s fifth loss in six games, another crushing one as they were bowled out in just 25 overs, and they appeared to be a team without confidence. This was another failure for Sussex to build on their good record in this league last season.
Their coach, Paul Farbrace, was forced to lament their performance: “We were out-batted, out-bowled, and out-fielded, and that’s what we just discussed in the changing room.” They are aware that they have embarrassed themselves.
The worst of the bunch was that. At this moment, we declare que there is no further we can sink than that. Now, there is only one direction left to go: up. We began out well with the bat and fielded terribly before giving up. We forfeited our wickets.
As they chased a huge Gloucestershire total, they lost interest in the match. Tom Alsop, who was short of runs in the match, was run out by a direct hit by Paul van Meekeren at mid-on as he attempted to scurry a quick single. Tom Haines, who was driving without moving his feet, was caught at cover in the fifth over.
Harrison Ward took a chance with his arm, hitting four fours and a six in a shaky 27 off 19 balls, but he was then lbw as he fell over trying to navigate a full delivery from Matt Taylor, who was making a comeback after recuperating from an infected toe. The decision to give James Coles the nod over Danial Ibrahim did not work out; the batsman was lbw for only six.
With Cheteshwar Pujara churning along and the necessary run rate rising steadily, Coles was under pressure to provide something extraordinary. Thanks to a six and two fours in his 17-ball 23, he appeared to be in the mood to do so as well. But then Ollie Price made a stunning catch of him. When Price running around from fine leg took the catch two-handed just inside the rope while trying to drag van Meekeren, Sussex was reeling at 88 for five.
Despite some lusty smashes from Fynn Hudson-Prentice, who was dismissed by another great boundary grab by Ollie Price, when Pujara was sixth out at 126, lbw to Tom Smith, it was realistically all over.
Ollie Price and Jack Taylor’s strong partnership of 128 runs in just 13 overs helped Gloucestershire reach their high total.
Price’s 95 of 88 balls, which included 11 fours, is really amazing. Alongside Taylor, whose 106 came at a rate of almost two runs every ball, he appeared practically sluggish.
Taylor faced just 54 deliveries and smashed eight fours and seven sixes, adding to his two fifty-plus scores and 121 against Worcestershire this season. He appeared to be impossible to bowl to at times, particularly when targeting the east side of the ground’s short boundary.
Prior to James Bracey, who was in top form after his recent 224 against Somerset, Gloucestershire had lost Chris Dent in the second over. Before cutting Jack Carson to Pujara at backward point, Bracey blasted a fluent 41 that included five fours and a six. The innings was in jeopardy at 127 for four in the 19th over as Miles Hammond, playing his first List A game in four years, was stumped for 19 and Graeme van Buuren quickly went lbw to Ibrahim for a duck.
The game was subsequently turned in Gloucestershire’s favor by Price and Taylor, the most notable of which was a lofted straight six by Taylor off Hudson-Prentice that flew over the media center and into the parking lot at the sea end.
Not for the first time in this competition, Sussex’s bowling was subpar. The gratification of returning to the attack to pick up four wickets, his finest performance in List A cricket, however, came at the expense of Henry Crocombe, whose first three overs had been lost for 37 runs.
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