Sussex Sharks secured their fifth win in seven matches in the Vitality Blast by defeating Kent Spitfires by 31 runs at The 1st Central County Ground in Hove. For Kent, this match marked their fourth consecutive defeat.
Chasing a challenging target of 202, Kent faced an uphill battle from the outset, especially after Zak Crawley was bowled for 4 by Ollie Robinson in the first over, marking his sixth straight failure to reach double digits. Robinson narrowly missed dismissing Marcus O'Riordan lbw in the same over, setting the tone for Kent's difficult pursuit.
O'Riordan’s dismissal in the second over, edging Nathan McAndrew to first slip, further compounded Kent's troubles, placing the burden on Daniel Bell-Drummond and captain Sam Billings. Given the inexperience in Kent’s lower middle order, these two batsmen appeared to be their best hope. Bell-Drummond and Billings looked solid, forming a 93-run partnership for the third wicket. A pivotal moment seemed to arise when James Coles conceded 19 runs in one over and dropped Bell-Drummond’s high catch, suggesting a potential shift in momentum. However, Sussex captain Tymal Mills responded decisively by bowling Bell-Drummond in the very next over.
Billings then took centre stage, but his lofted drive in the following over was caught by Robinson at wide long-off, putting Sussex in a commanding position despite a spirited 34 not out from Joey Evison and a quick 18 from former Sussex player Harry Finch. Danny Lamb capped an impressive all-round performance with bowling figures of 3 for 37.
Earlier in the game, Kent's decision to bowl first appeared promising as they restricted Sussex to just three runs in the opening two overs. However, Sussex quickly gained momentum, amassing 68 runs without loss during the power play overs with consecutive scores of 19, 13, 16, and 17 in the subsequent four overs.
Harrison Ward, fresh off a confident 68 at Chelmsford on Friday, spearheaded Sussex's aggressive start. While Daniel Hughes faced only nine deliveries in those initial six overs, Ward showcased powerful hitting, notching up his fifty from just 24 balls with several boundaries both straight and to the leg side. Hughes was dismissed in the seventh over, caught by Bell-Drummond at long-leg while attempting a third six off Matt Parkinson. Ward soon followed, caught by Finch at deep midwicket boundary, having scored 61 off 28 balls with six fours and five sixes.
Kent continued to claw back as Beyers Swanepoel bowled John Simpson for three in the ninth over, and Parkinson trapped Tom Alsop lbw for just 2 in the following over. Sussex, having lost five wickets for 36 runs, were in danger of a collapse. However, Lamb's resilient 40 from 32 balls ensured Sussex surpassed the 200-run mark.
Kent's bowling had mixed results in challenging conditions; while some bowlers performed admirably, Swanepoel (1 for 53) and Grant Stewart (0 for 51) struggled, ultimately falling short as Sussex emerged victorious by 31 runs.