Sharks killer instinct seals glory

Sussex cherish their inaugural Twenty20 Cup triumph, achieved by 63 runs over Somerset at a packed Edgbaston

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Sussex’s spinners ushered in a headlong Somerset batting collapse to win by 63 runs and lift the Twenty20 Cup for the first time on a cool evening at Edgbaston.

After Dwayne Smith’s electric 59 from 26 balls carried the Sharks to 172 for seven, Somerset were left with the task of chasing the highest target to win in a Twenty20 Cup final, after Leicestershire’s 169 for three in 2004.

And when Marcus Trescothick smashed 33 from 15 balls in taking Somerset to 43 without loss, a power-packed Sabres batting order were in the game.

But Sussex dropped nothing, and bowled barely a bad ball in an utterly cool display. After Will Beer (2-29) and Mike Yardy (0-17) slowed the rate to almost a standstill, James Kirtley (3-9) cleaned up the tail, taking the last six wickets for just five runs.

It was partial recompense for a withering defeat to neighbours Hampshire in the Friends Provident Trophy. With both sides assured of a place in the Twenty20 Champions League in October, the shackles were off to play for a trophy Somerset won in 2005, and Sussex had not lifted before.

The stage for a thrilling chase was set by Smith’s inventive half-century, which allowed Sussex to hit back from a mid-innings malaise to post comfortably the biggest score of the day.

Justin Langer won the toss, and opted to put his opponents in and back his seamers to inflict early damage.

The Sharks lost Murray Goodwin, their hero of the semi-final win over Northamptonshire, for seven inside the first two overs.

Goodwin was caught behind by Craig Kieswetter, off Charl Willoughby, with the total on 16.

Marcus Trescothick's pyrotechnics were short-lived as he perished for 33 from 15

At the end of the six-over powerplay, the Sharks had recovered to 47 for one, with Rory Hamilton-Brown offering a reprise of his own little cameo against Northants.

But three swift strikes, starting with the run-out of Luke Wright for 20, threw Sussex off course.

Hamilton-Brown followed in unfortunate fashion, lbw to Max Waller’s leg-spin with the ball appearing to head down leg.

Ed Joyce, a winner last year with Middlesex, departed 13 runs later, bowled around his legs by Peter Trego, who conceded just five runs in his first two overs.

Then Smith began the riposte that won Sussex the game. From the 13th over, delivered by Ben Phillips, he launched successive fours and a six. In the following over, he somehow dug out a yorker for a straight six, and paddle-swept for four.

Typically, Smith brought up his fifty with a six over midwicket, but his powerful innings ended when he was well stumped by Kieswetter off Waller.

When Yardy was bowled with the score at 126, Sussex could have imploded, but Chris Nash and Arafat added 46 runs in the last five overs until Nash was bowled off the last ball.

Somerset knew they had to start well, and they had exactly the man for the job.

Trescothick, fresh from 56 in the semi-final, began at a pace again.

He struck three sixes in 15 deliveries as the Sussex seamers enjoyed a mixed start. Two of the maximums and a four came in Wright’s second over, the second of which he barely flicked over his shoulder to midwicket.

But unlike his semi-final knock, Trescothick’s innings was only to be a cameo. With the score on 43, the former England batsman got a leading edge off Kirtley, and was caught by an advancing Hamilton-Brown at deep cover.

His opening partner followed soon after. Langer hit Arafat square for four, but the next ball saw his stumps scattered to all parts by the Pakistani.

It was the cue for the spinners to come on, and Sussex conceded only 14 runs in five overs.

Dwayne Smith flays the Somerset bowling en route to 59 from 26 deliveries

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The hugely-impressive Beer removed James Hildreth for one, and kept Kieswetter floundering on one, before the batsman stepped outside to his eighth ball and was stumped to leave the score 63 for four.

Trego tried gallantly to bring down the required rate by taking 19 off Beer’s last over, but attempted one shot too many to Hamilton-Brown and was caught at long-on for 27.

Zander de Bruyn followed for 22, and as the tail was exposed to Kirtley, the last four wickets last fell without a run being added to the final score of 109.

Smith picked up the man-of-the-match award, while Sussex earn £42,000 for the win. The prospect of a shot at $6million lies in wait for both these teams in India in October.