Arafat does the trick for Sussex
Pakistani Yasir Arafat cut short the Gloucestershire innings with a hat-trick en route to impressive figures of 3-30
Yasir Arafat became only the third Sussex bowler to take a one-day league hat-trick as they regained top spot in NatWest Pro40 Division One with a comfortable nine-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Horsham.
The Pakistani finished off Gloucestershire's innings in the last over when he had Steve Adshead caught at midwicket before yorkers accounted for Ian Saxelby and Steve Kirby.
It capped an impressive bowling performance by Sussex, who restricted the visitors to 189 on a good pitch with a fast outfield.
They then cruised to their target in just 26.1 overs as Luke Wright and Ed Joyce put on 136 in 19 overs for the second wicket, with Wright contributing a blistering unbeaten 95.
James Kirtley had done the early damage at the top of the innings in an impressive six-over burst after Gloucestershire won the toss. He finished with 3-29.
The former England seamer deceived Will Porterfield with a slower ball and had skipper Alex Gidman caught behind in his third over as he prodded outside off stump.
Kirtley then tumbled to his left to take a sharp return catch and end a stodgy innings by opener Kadeer Ali, who took 27 balls making five.
Gloucestershire rallied thanks to their New Zealanders, James Franklin and Hamish Marshall.
Marshall made 50 off 57 balls – he was caught behind off Sussex captain Mike Yardy to end a stand of 66 in 13 overs with Chris Taylor – and Franklin contributed 36 before he was caught by Yardy at slip off Wright.
Gloucestershire's last five wickets fell for 48 in seven overs and Sussex made short work of their target.
Rory Hamilton-Brown and Joyce added 56 inside seven overs and, even when Hamilton-Brown was stumped by Adshead, there was no loss of momentum.
Wright thrilled a crowd close to 4,000 by smashing his way to 50 off just 36 balls, with all of his runs coming in boundaries thanks to 11 fours and a six.
Gidman had used seven bowlers by the 21st over but it failed to stem the Sussex onslaught.
In an impressive display of stroke-making, Wright's innings spanned just 62 balls and contained 18 fours and a six, while Joyce contributed 66 from 77 deliveries as Sussex made it three successive wins in defence of their title.
