Heartbreak for Bears as Sussex loss leads to Cup exit

WARWICKSHIRE suffered Metro Bank One-Day Cup heartbreak after a 21-run (D/L) home defeat to Sussex caused qualification to slip through their fingers.

- By BRIAN HALFORD

In a match reduced to 48 overs per side, Sussex totalled 277 for nine with only Tom Clark (82 from 77 balls) building an innings beyond the cameo stage. Olly Hannon-Dalby’s three for 53 was well-supported by the spinners who shared five wickets.

Warwickshire’s D/L target was adjusted to 280 from 48 overs and they were bowled out for 258 in 45.1 overs. Ed Barnard struck 82 (75) and Alex Davies (74, 90) but Archie Lenham took his maiden List A five-for - five for 48 - as the middle and lower order imploded.

That left Warwickshire’s players clinging to the hope of Middlesex losing to Lancashire - but half an hour later those hopes were extinguished as Middlesex snuck home by one wicket at Old Trafford.

Sussex chose to bat and soon lost Henry Rogers, caught by a diving Hamza Shaikh at extra cover off Hannon-Dalby, but Clark sped to a 45-ball half-century. After a short rain break, Daniel Ibrahim tickled a potential leg side wide from Rob Yates to wicket-keeper Kai Smith.