Sussex slip up in final reprise
Zander de Bruyn's 73 off 68 balls formed the centrepiece of the Somerset innings as they bounced back from Saturday's disappointment
Somerset gained a measure of revenge for their Twenty20 Cup final defeat by beating Sussex in the floodlit NatWest Pro40 Division One match at Taunton.
The Sabres usurped their opponents at the top of the table after successfully defending a total of 238 for five, which featured 73 from Zander de Bruyn and 45 apiece from James Hildreth and Craig Kieswetter.
In reply, Sussex slipped to 61 for four as left-arm spinner Arul Suppiah opened the bowling and removed openers Rory Hamilton-Brown and Luke Wright cheaply.
Ben Phillips accounted for Murray Goodwin and Michael Yardy with successive balls and the visitors could manage only 189 despite a superb 94 from Ed Joyce. The next highest score was 19 as they slipped to a 49-run defeat.
Somerset skipper Justin Langer elected to bat first, having chosen to field in the Twenty20 final, and Marcus Trescothick again looked in sublime form.
The former England opening batsman hit 36 off 30 balls, with five fours and a six, but holed out to mid-on off Wright's slower ball.
Trescothick and Kieswetter gave Somerset a fine start in bright sunshine, putting on 69 for the first wicket in 10 overs. Kieswetter also hit Wright to mid-on and departed with the score on 86.
Hildreth and de Bruyn were able to build their third-wicket stand steadily and added 91 before Hildreth was caught at long-on trying to reach his half-century with a six.
Peter Trego played an entertaining cameo – he hit 23 at a run a ball – while de Bruyn acted as the anchor. The South African fell in the 38th over, having faced 68 balls and hit three fours and three sixes.
Somerset's decision to give Suppiah the new ball was a surprise but he responded by having Hamilton-Brown caught at mid-on and Wright lbw to reduce Sussex to 18 for two.
Kieswetter played a key role, accepting a thin edge from Goodwin when he had made 19 and then producing a brilliant leg-side stumping to remove Yardy first ball.
An easier stumping accounted for Chris Nash off leg-spinner Max Waller after the dangerous Dwayne Smith was well caught low down by Hildreth at cover off Mark Turner.
The impressive Waller also accounted for Andrew Hodd and Joyce was left to play a lone hand. He was last man out, caught at long-on, having faced 108 balls.
It was a magnificent effort from the left-hander but, unfortunately for Sussex, the rest of the batsmen looked to be suffering a hangover from their Twenty20 celebrations.
