Smith flops as Sussex bow out of Champions League

NEW DELHI, India, CMC – Dwayne Smith twice failed to rescue Sussex as the English County was dumped from the Twenty20 Champions League by Eagles via a super over after the match finished in a tie yesterday.

The Barbados and West Indies batsman contributed just nine as Sussex stumbled to 119 for seven off their allotted 20 overs and Eagles seemed on course to win easily before tight bowling restricted them to 119 for four.

Needing 10 to win after Eagles scored nine from the eliminator over, Smith lost his off stump off the first ball before Rory Hamilton-Brown was bowled next delivery by medium pacer CJ de Villiers, as Sussex bowed out of the tournament in tame fashion.

Winning the toss and batting at Feroz Shah Kotla, Joe Gatting top scored with 25 and Ed Joyce got 21 but the Sussex batting failed to fire in their must-win game.

England’s Luke Wright fell cheaply for 19 with the score on 23 in the third over before Chris Nash was prised out for seven in the next over with the score on 29, to leave the County side in a spot of bother. When Hamilton-Brown was bowled three balls later for six, Smith entered with a huge responsibility on his shoulders but failed to live up to expectations.

He had managed just nine from 15 balls with a solitary four before he was bowled off the inside edge, attempting a big swing towards long on.
Sussex then stumbled to 73 for five before a 29-run, sixth wicket  stand between  Joyce and Gatting got them past the 100-mark.

Openers Rilee Rossouw and Adrian McLaren gave Eagles a fine foundation from which to launch a winning assault with a stand of 72.
The partnership required 67 balls, however, with Rossouw stroking 65 from 62 balls with seven fours and two sixes.

But Eagles were unable to launch the run spree needed as the Sussex bowlers kept things tight, forcing the super over.