Sussex may be down on bowlers but for batting power alone they ought to be among T20 Blast favourites

T20 BLAST PREVIEW: Luke Wright, Phil Salt, Laurie Evans, Ravi Bopara, David Wiese, Delray Rawlins... this is a formidable batting unit which should be able to post and chase totals and targets whatever the scenario...

Coach: Jason Gillespie

Captain: Luke Wright

Last season: Quarter-finals

Fixtures: August 28 - Surrey (h, 2pm); August 30 - Hampshire (h, 2pm); September 1 - Middlesex (a, 6.15pm); September 3 - Kent (h, 2pm); September 10 - Hampshire (a, 6.35pm); September 12 - Kent (a, 2pm); September 14 - Essex (h, 2pm); September 16 - Surrey (a, 6.30pm); September 18 - Middlesex (h, 2pm); September 20 - Essex (a, 1pm)

How did they do last year?

Sussex came top of the South Division table with eight wins out of a possible 14. They impressed with the bat during the group stages, with nine-wicket victories over Kent and Glamorgan showing the power they have at the top of the batting order.

There are few who can compete with the Sharks, but in Worcestershire Rapids they met their match in the quarter-final. Sussex batted first and totalled a strong 184 for 6, Phil Salt scoring 72 off 40 balls and Laurie Evans 43 not out in 31 deliveries.

Worcestershire came out swinging and Moeen Ali, who raced to 121 off 60 balls, left Sussex in his wake. Worcestershire ended up chasing the total in 17.4 overs and lost just two wickets.

Who are their key players?

Laurie Evans: The definition of consistency in 2019, Evans averaged 44.75 in 13 innings, with a top score of 65 not out. Over the past two years, Evans has developed an ability to manipulate fields and target gaps to steal runs, while maintaining a healthy strike rate around 140. In 2018 there were fewer more impactful batsmen in world T20, and subsequently Evans has recently gained franchise competition experience, as well as being part of the recent England white-ball training squad. This is his final hurrah for Sussex, as he will return to former club Surrey on a two-year contract from 2021.

Tymal Mills: An opening bowler with blistering pace that focusses purely on T20 cricket, Mills was the pick of the Sussex bowling unit last year with an economy of just 6.52 and seven wickets. Mills is Sussex's seventh highest T20 wicket-taker of all time, with 53, and adds tremendous know how and variations at the death.

Ravi Bopara: Bopara is a known quantity - potentially devastating with the bat and more than useful with the ball. He topped the Essex batting stats in T20s last year, with an average of 48.5 and a rapid strike rate of 162.56. It will be intriguing to see if Sussex use him in the same way the Eagles did in 2019 - down the order, as a finisher - or elevate him to his preferred position in the top order.

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What are their strengths?

Batting.

With Luke Wright, Bopara and Evans all predominantly focusing on white-ball cricket, Sussex will be poised to present a threat. Throw into the mix Phil Salt - one of the more exciting batting prospects for England - and the explosive South African David Wiese, and the Sharks most definitely have bite.

And then there's Delray Rawlins, among the cleanest strikers of a cricket ball in the county system. You wouldn't want to be an opposition bowler. 

Where might they have a weakness?

This is tough. At full strenghth, Sussex look a phenomenal unit. However, they will certainly be without Rashid Khan - who is playing in the CPL and then Afghanistan's T20 competition. Chris Jordan will be away with England. Jofra Archer may also be called into the white-ball squad for the Australia series and, regardless, as a centrally contracted player the ECB may require him to rest during the Blast. And Reece Topley left for Surrey over the winter.

That leaves some limitations on Sussex's bowling, but and a lot of pressure on Ollie Robinson - a tremendous red-ball prospect - alongside Mills and seasoned T20 wicket-getter Danny Briggs. 

Chances of reaching Finals Day?

Even with their bowling unit weakened, this batting line-up should make Finals Day.

Strongest XI: Luke Wright, Phil Salt, Laurie Evans, Delray Rawlins, Ravi Bopara, Ben Brown, David Wiese, Danny Briggs, Ollie Robinson, Will Beer, Tymal Mills

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