So Somerset took the first place at the Twenty20 Finals Day, but now to Hove where Sussex were taking on Gloucestershire. The home side were favourites after they topped their group winning six games and losing just one, while Gloucestershire sneaked through to only their fourth quarter-final, (their best finish being runners-up), with four wins and four no-results to their name.
Gloucestershire won the toss and decided to field.
Two early wickets silenced the home crowd as Gloucestershire
made the perfect start. Norwell also bowled Prior but off a free-hit. Sussex finally
started to find the boundary with some regularity as the run rate began to soar in the powerplay overs. The fight-back was complete by the end of the 6th over with the home side on 67-2 and firmly in the driving seat.
Prior and Goodwin built their partnership with skill and expertise, and the England keeper went to his 50 in the 8th over with a single off Muralitharan; it had taken him just 28 balls.
The partnership came to an abrubt end however as Prior was run out for 60, a superb innings that put Sussex in an excellent position. He and Goodwin had added 98 for the third wicket, but the job was only half done.
Styris joined Goodwin and together they continued to build. Styris launched one ball over the scoreboard, while Goodwin pressed on to his half century from 38 balls.
The muscular New Zealander then really opened up hitting two more 6s to accelerate the score once more. Styris soon caught and overtook his partner as he brought up his 50 (from 24 balls) with a 6. Gloucestershire's bowlers were struggling and the runs kept flowing. The 18th over began with a 6 no-balls, followed by another no ball that Styris hit for 4. The next two balls both went over the rope for maximums followed by another 4. The fourth ligitmate delivery was a dot, but the fifth was a 4 over the keepers head. The last ball Styris drove straight down the ground for yet another 6, meaning Sussex took 38 from the over!
The 200 came up in the 19th over as the home side continued to hit out. They sailed past the previous high score of this years T20 (213, which was made by Worcestershire, also against Gloucestershire), and Styris continued to bash 6s to lift him up to a century (only the second this year), which came off 37 balls with five 4s and nine 6s.
Sussex eventually finished on 230 with Goodwin caught off the last ball for 55. The fourth wicket cost the visitors 129. 98 runs came off the final five overs.
So Gloucestershire began their innings already requiring a run rate of 11.5. They began by taking just 4 from the first over and the only comfort they could take from that was that Sussex were 3-1 after their first over.
Styris bowled the second over and also managed to prevent any boundaries, but it was in his second over, the 4th of the innings, that the first wicket came as Howell tried to up Gloucestershire's scoring and was caught by Nash.
The match had sadly died with the lack of excitement as the visitors stuggled to work away the slow bowlers. The result was already clear and the crowd knew it. Finally the ball reached the rope in the fifth over as Housego moved to 5 and Gloucestershire 27-1.
Marshall finally found his rhythm against Styris and picked up 14 from the final over of the powerplay. A couple more slow overs followed before Marshall tucked into the bowling once more collecting 16 from the 9th over. It couldn't last however and next over he was caught behind for 42 from 29 balls.
Housego picked up the attack and put Rippon away for 20 from the 11th over, but he too perished shortly after, bowled for 47 from 24 balls. Cockbain tried to find the boundary but was bowled for 7 as the Gloucestershire innings stalled once more.
Ironically the visitors were still ahead of Sussex's score after 15 overs, but needed to match the home side's biltz scoring of the final overs if they were to pull off a stunning victory. Gidman clearly felt that was no problem as he launched three successive 6s in the 16th over to take Gloucestershire past 150. Sussex though finally got their man though when Gidman came back for a second run and was run out for 44 from 22 balls. This was immediately followed by another run out that was suicidal.
Fuller was bowled from the first ball of the 19th over, for 26 to effectively end the game, but at least their had been plenty of excitement for the crowd when the innings could have petered out much earlier.
Gloucestershire finished on 191, which would only most days be a winning score, perhaps their decision to bowl first could be questioned, but nothing can be taken away from a very stong Sussex performance.
Result
Sussex: 230-4. Styris 100*, Prior 60
Gloucestershire: 191-8. Housego 47, Liddle 1 for 24 from 4 overs
Sussex win by 39 runs
Star Player: Easily Styris. His huge hundred would have put the game beyond any team, and he followed it up with a wicket after opening the bowling.
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