David Wiese leads Sussex to narrow success against Surrey

The allrounder stood firm to strike an unbeaten 92 from 81 balls, with 14 fours, to see Sussex home with 11 balls to spare. It was his highest score for Sussex in 50-over cricket.

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Hove: Surrey 274-9, Sussex 278-8 - Sussex won by two wickets

Scorecard

South African allrounder David Wiese led the Sussex Sharks to a thrilling Royal London One-Day Cup victory over Surrey at Hove.

Wiese, batting with a long Sussex tail, appeared to be running out of partners when his side, chasing 275, slumped to 232 for 7 and then 255 for 8 after opener Luke Wright’s 69.  

But he stood firm to strike an unbeaten 92 from 81 balls, with 14 fours, to see Sussex home with 11 balls to spare. It was his highest score for Sussex in 50-over cricket.  

Surrey’s star-studded line-up were looking to make a statement following a 147-run defeat in their opening game, when they were bowled out for 88, but they were again frustrated by a pitch on which the ball didn’t come onto the bat.

Jason Roy, driving uppishly to the first delivery of the sixth over, fell to a tumbling catch by George Garton in the covers.

Mark Stoneman and Will Jacks then gave a solid base to the Surrey innings, with a second-wicket stand worth 84 in 16 overs, but the mean Sussex bowlers kept a brake on the scoring rate.  

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They might have done even better. Legspinner Will Beer replaced Wiese at the sea end for the ninth over and with his third delivery he had Stoneman dropped at slip by Chris Jordan; something of a collectors’ item.

Stoneman did not make the most of his reprieve. He was lbw to Garton for a 58-ball 38. The gifted Jacks reached his fifty from 52 balls when he lifted Danny Briggs for a straight six, his second. There were also five fours but he was out soon afterwards, caught at long-off attacking the same bowler.

Rory Burns, attempting to reverse sweep, was bowled by Beer for 13 to make it 146 for 4 in the 31st over before Ben Foakes (64) and Ollie Pope (33) put on 63 for the fifth wicket.

When Pope, attempting to accelerate the run rate, pulled a slower ball from Hamza to deep midwicket, to make it 209-5 in the 41st over, it was left to the topscoring Foakes to lead Surrey to respectability. Hamza, with four wickets, was the most successful Sussex bowler.

The Sussex innings got off to a flyer. Phil Salt took 14 of one over from Rikki Clarke, including a hooked six over backward square-leg. Salt scored 32 from 22 balls but then chipped Morne Morkel up in the air.

The fifty came up in the ninth over, and then Wright scored 14 off three deliveries from Liam Plunkett, including a straight six. The only problem he seemed to have was hanging on to partners.  

At 55, Laurie Evans was caught behind off Tom Curran and three overs later Harry Finch was also caught by wicketkeeper Foakes, this time off Plunkett.

Ben Brown’s disappointing form with the bat continued when he spooned a catch to Roy at midwicket to make it 110 for 4 in the 19th but Wright found a handy partner in Wiese.

The two added 67 for the fifth wicket and with 108 needed from the last 20 overs a large and noisy crowd were beginning to sense victory against their big-name opposition.

But in the 32nd over Wright edged Curran to Foakes. His 83-ball 69 included eight fours and a six. Wiese, though, received solid support from Jordan, who hit a 26-ball 31 before falling to a fine running catch by Clarke at mid-off.  

When Garton fell for a duck with 43 still needed the match appeared to belong to Surrey but Wiese had other ideas.

Report courtesy of the ECB Reporters Network

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