Glam bitten by Sharks
SUSSEX Sharks moved to the top of the Vitality Blast South Group after thrashing Glamorgan by nine wickets at Hove on Tuesday night.
Sussex’s fifth win out of six — they also tied against Surrey — moved last year’s beaten finalists above Kent Spitfires.
They were always in control against a Glamorgan side still looking for their first win of the campaign.
After they restricted Glamorgan, who won the toss, to 146-9, openers Luke Wright and Phil Salt launched the reply with a withering assault which brought 130 in 12 overs, Sussex’s fourth highest partnership in the format and their biggest against Glamorgan.
The pair rattled along at more than 10 an over from the start, matching each other shot for shot against a toothless Glamorgan attack which lacked variety compared to Sussex’s.
Salt reached his 50 with a six into the top tier of the pavilion off Andrew Salter and the off-spinner was hit for boundaries off the next two deliveries.
Salt won the game off fifth ball of the 13th over with an upper cut over third man which brought him his eighth boundary. He also hit three sixes as he finished on 78 not out from 42 balls, his third half-century of this season’s competition.
It looked as if the Sussex pair might win the game on their own but Wright fell to a superb diving catch in the 13th over by wicketkeeper Chris Cooke after making 56 off 35 deliveries with five fours and two sixes. There were 6.1 overs left when Sussex eased to victory.
Such a one-sided contest had seemed unlikely with Glamorgan in good shape at 55-1 in the ninth over and opener David Lloyd going well.
But they lost eight wickets for 87 and were never the same after Lloyd departed to the next ball after reaching his second fifty of this season’s Blast.
Sussex’s fielding was excellent, with Salt taking two superb diving catches in the deep to complete an excellent evening.
Glamorgan, bottom of the nineteam South group, return to the Swalec Stadium tomorrow evening to take on Essex.
Due to early print deadlines, we are unable to bring you coverage of tomorrow’s game but look out for more Glamorgan news in our sister publication, Wales on Sunday.