Sussex slip up

Moises Henriques added impetus to the New South Wales innings with 51 not out off 33 balls, before taking three wickets

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Sussex suffered disappointment in their opening Champions League Twenty20 game as contrasting half-centuries from Phillip Hughes and Moises Henriques set up a 35-run victory for New South Wales.

Hughes batted through the innings for a patient unbeaten 62 off 64 balls, while Henriques supplied some much-needed momentum with a rapid 51 not out off only 33 deliveries on a slow surface at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.

Their unbroken second-wicket partnership of 90 formed the centrepiece of the Blues’ total of 130 for two, to which Sussex - England’s Twenty20 champions - could muster only 95 for eight in reply.

Stand-in captain Ed Joyce fell first ball to the outstanding Brett Lee, who conceded just nine runs in four overs, before Henriques claimed 3-23 to book NSW’s place in the next phase of the tournament.

Hughes and fellow opener David Warner struggled early on after NSW won the toss, but they added 35 before Warner was brilliantly run out by a direct hit from Dwayne Smith at backward point.

NSW wicketkeeper-batsman Daniel Smith - promoted to number three - found Robin Martin-Jenkins at long-on in leg-spinner Piyush Chawla’s first over, but it was to be Sussex’s last success of the innings.

Henriques - also sent in ahead of captain Simon Katich - was reprieved on eight when Rory Hamilton-Brown put down a sharp chance at short extra-cover, amd capitalised by clubbing Chawla for six in an over which cost 17.

Hughes, though never fluent, went to 52-ball half-century shortly before he was dropped at midwicket by Joyce, deputising as captain for the ill Michael Yardy.

Chawla spilled a difficult chance running back from short fine-leg to give Henriques another life on 48, although Sussex could rightly be proud of a hugely disciplined display with the ball.

A run-rate of 6.5 an over may not have appeared too daunting, for Sussex but the scale of their task grew from the moment Lee nipped one back to bowl Joyce.

Hamilton-Brown spent 24 balls over his 13 and, although Dwayne Smith struck two leg-side boundaries, his departure left the onus of responsibility resting on Chris Nash.

However, opener Nash, who top-scored with 24, scooped Henriques to Stuart Clark at short fine-leg to spark a collapse that saw four wickets fall for four runs in 10 balls.

Henriques profited by having Chawla, aiming across the line, taken at point by Hughes, who then ran out Joe Gatting before Yasir Arafat was bowled aiming a wild heave at Nathan Hauritz.

Henriques capped a fine performance with the wicket of Andrew Hodd, well held at long-on by Steven Smith, although one suspects Sussex’s attention had long since turned to Tuesday’s must-win final group game against the Diamond Eagles at the same venue.