Panthers sink Sharks to top t20 group

Sussex 148-7 (20 ov) lost to Middlesex 152-4 (19.4 ov) by 6 wickets
(Sussex 0 pts, Middlesex 2 pts)

Middlesex Panthers moved back to the top of the t20 South group with a final-over victory at Hove.

Gareth Berg’s three wickets helped restrict Sussex Sharks to 148-7 in their 20 overs, with Chris Nash hitting an unbeaten 61.

Paul Stirling began the Panthers’ response in incredible fashion, smashing 22 runs off the first over, but was out shortly afterwards.

Joe Denly (53) and Dawid Malan (41) ensured Middlesex were always in control, although their late wickets meant it was down to Adam Voges to hit the winning runs with two balls to spare.

Having chosen to field, Panthers made the perfect start when Sussex dangerman Dwayne Smith was caught behind off the very first ball.

Matt Machan (27) and Rory Hamilton-Brown (18) both threatened to cut loose but were instead cut down by the Middlesex attack and the Sharks’ run-scoring slowed up as a result.

Kiwi Scott Styris, who last year made the third-fastest century in t20 history, was kept down to a run-a-ball 24 before he was castled by Neil Dexter.

Nash’s two late sixes boosted the Sharks’ total but their progress was checked by Berg who took wickets with the last two balls of the innings.

Stirling’s astonishing assault on Lewis Hatchett in the opening over produced 26 runs – four leg-byes followed by four fours and a six.

The Irishman fell at the end of the next over, having scored 26 from 10 balls, and his contribution proved crucial by the end.

Denly and Malan kept the Panthers well ahead of the asking rate, picking off ones and twos as well as hitting seven fours between them.

Denly also cleared the rope four times on his way to 53, when he was stumped off the bowling of Styris.

Malan fell short of his half century and there were nervy moments in the last over when, with the scores level, Smith bowled three dot balls – but Voges eventually found the boundary that maintains Middlesex’s hopes of progressing.

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