Joyce demands improvement

Ed Joyce admitted Sussex's batting let them down as they slipped to a resounding 35-run defeat at the Feroz Shah Kotla

Stand-in captain Ed Joyce lamented Sussex’s batting display after they lost their opening Champions League Twenty20 match to New South Wales.

The Sharks were beaten by 35 runs at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, restricted to 95 for eight - the second lowest total of the tournament - in pursuit of 131 to win on a slow pitch.

Chris Nash top-scored for Sussex with 24, and Joyce was under no illusions that they must improve with the bat when they meet the Diamond Eagles on Tuesday in a match that will decide which side joins NSW in the next stage.

Phillip Hughes hit an unbeaten 62 for the Blues but Moises Henriques was the only batsman on either side to play with any freedom as his 51 not out off 33 balls provided much-needed impetus to their innings.

“Henriques was the difference between the two sides,” said Joyce, captaining Sussex after Michael Yardy was a late withdrawal through illness. “We fell short by 30-odd runs and Henriques got 50 of them off just 30-odd balls so he deserves the credit.

"Both teams struggled out there and the new ball just skidded on quite low.

"We certainly need to hit more boundaries and that’s one area we need to improve on," he added, referring to their paltry tally of seven fours in 20 overs.

“The Diamond Eagles played here the other day and got 90-odd as well, so I think both teams will be looking at their batting line-up.

Phillip Hughes batted through the innings for an unbeaten 62 - and earned fulsome praise from his captain, Simon Katich

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“This is a massive tournament for club teams and it’s great to be out here. It would be good to beat the South African team on Tuesday and stay involved. It’s a winner-takes-all situation and we would be gunning for that.”

NSW skipper Simon Katich’s decision to push Henriques up the order at his own expense was vindicated by an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 90 with Hughes.

Pace bowler Brett Lee, who claimed 1-9 from four overs, and Steven Smith, who removed Rory Hamilton-Brown with his first ball, also won praise.

“Hughes and Henriques were brilliant under pressure and so was David Warner,” Katich said. “We wanted to make sure we had a left-hand, right-hand combination throughout the innings.

“Moises had batted beautifully in the first game and I thought he was a good option to stir things up rather than have two left-handers. It worked very well for us.

“Brett Lee was outstanding with the ball up front and the others chipped in beautifully, especially our young leg-spinner Steven Smith.

“It was a big advantage having played here the other day because you know what to expect as a batting unit and with the ball as well.

“It’s fantastic to go through the second round and that’s what we wanted to achieve, but we have got a lot of hard work ahead of us.”