Yardy hails 'supreme' Sussex

Captain Mike Yardy praised his side for the way they handled the pressure on finals day, saying they "dealt with it well"

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Sussex skipper Michael Yardy saluted a “supreme team effort” as his side made up for their Friends Provident Trophy final agony by winning the Twenty20 Cup for the first time.

The Sharks were below their best when losing the Friends Provident Trophy showpiece against Hampshire last month at Lord's, but they were on top of their game in disposing of Somerset by 63 runs in a one-sided final at Edgbaston.

An explosive half century from Dwayne Smith helped Sussex amass 172 for seven, and then Somerset lost their last six wickets for five runs in being dismissed for 109.

Yardy said: “I think we learned a lot from the Friends Provident final. Our preparation had been very good for that game, but we learned a lot about coping with the mental side of big occasions.

“It's a different kettle of fish when you are playing in front of big crowds at Lord's and Edgbaston and all the hype that goes with it.

“It takes a bit of getting used to, but we dealt with it all really well today.

“To win this competition has been an all-round team effort, with everyone chipping in with wickets and runs.”

Yardy is also relishing the prospect of playing in the Champions League, which will take place in India in October, when $6million will be up for grabs for the eventual winners.

Runners-up Somerset have also qualified, making sure of their place when disposing of Kent in the semi-finals.

Somerset captain Justin Langer described Dwayne Smith's brutal match-winning 59 off 26 balls for Sussex as a "brilliant innings"

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Yardy added: “When you come to finals day, the Champions League is in the back of your mind. You want to win the competition.

“But now we have got there, it is something to really look forward to, against top players, and we want to do ourselves justice.”

After such an impressive semi-final victory, Somerset captain Justin Langer was disappointed with his side’s performance.

“We didn’t play very well all round,” said Langer. “We didn’t bowl as well as we did in the first game and they probably got a few too many runs. It was a bit different (batting) under lights because the ball spun a bit.

“They played better than us overall but I am very proud of Somerset. They have done really well all year.

“We lost the Friends Provident quarter-final to Sussex and we have done well in the NatWest Pro40 and we have done well in this competition.

“We have done better than last year and that is all you can ask from the club.

“That is why Sussex probably deserve to win. They have got really close this year and they done a little bit better, so hats off for them.”

Somerset were faced with having to break the record for the highest run-chase to win a Twenty20 final after Sussex posted 172.

Somerset stalled after Marcus Trescothick was dismissed for 33 from 15 deliveries and eventually slumped to 109 all out, losing their last six wickets for just five runs.

Sussex’s innings was underpinned by a brutal innings of 59 from 26 deliveries from West Indies all-rounder Smith.

“It was a brilliant innings,” said Langer. “He knows how to play the game of Twenty20. When someone hits the ball as hard and as far as he hits it you just can’t do much about it.

“He is a great athlete had a good all-round cricketer. He had a great game.”