Brown left ‘deflated’ as Sussex are edged out

SUSSEX captain Ben Brown admitted his team’s failure to make the T20 Blast quarter-finals was thoroughly “deflating”.

The Sharks’ convincing 55-run win against ESSEX proved to be in vain as SOMERSET upset the odds in thumping HAMPSHIRE by 98 runs in Southampton to progress on net run-rate.

Brown did not seek excuses and maintained that Sussex only had themselves to blame as Somerset’s net run-rate of 0.491 surpassed Sussex’s 0.423, helping them to snatch the final South Group qualifying place.

“It’s hugely frustrating and really deflating. We had a couple of games we should really have won,” the wicketkeeper said. “We had a lot of rain but we had the chance to qualify in our own hands and we didn’t take it.”

There was also heartbreak for KENT after they fell to a ten-run defeat against SURREY in Canterbury, finishing sixth and two points adrift of Somerset.

Jason Roy’s 43-ball 78 powered the visitors to 154-9 after 20 overs but Kent could only muster 144-8 in reply, with opener Joe Denly’s 40 proving the highlight of a misfiring collective batting effort.

And head coach Matt Walker identified missed opportunities and inconsistencies as the reason behind the Spitfires’ disappointment.

“We had to win our last three games. That was the target and we got ourselves into a position whereby we could qualify,” he said.

“It was in our hands, which was the first objective, and at halfway (against Surrey), I thought we were well in the game but it probably summed us up, not being able to get over the line in a tight game.

“We’ll be kicking ourselves. Overall though, we probably haven’t quite deserved to get through. We fought hard at the back end of the campaign but it was all a bit too late, really.”