Sussex's stuttering start to the new season continued after defeat to Kent effectively ended their hopes of progress in the Friends Provident Trophy.
Without four of their best players, the Sharks never recovered from losing six wickets for 24 runs at the end of their innings.
Instead of posting a competitive total of 250-plus, they finished on 218-9 and Kent Spitfires made short work of their run chase on a pitch which got easier to bat on thanks to an unbroken second-wicket stand of 174 between Martin van Jaarsveld and Joe Denly.
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With only one victory the Sharks will need to win their three remaining games to have any chance of nicking second place in a competitive South-East group.
There were some positives at Canterbury. Mike Yardy justified his promotion with a half-century from the opener's slot and Rory Hamilton-Brown's 35 off 41 balls represented a decent debut for the former Surrey batsman.
But, as coach Mark Robinson has reminded his side, 30s and 40s are not enough. A feature of Sussex's batting in the competition so far is their consistent and collective failure to turn decent starts into match-winning contributions. Robinson's message does not appear to be getting through, Chris Adams 109 not out against Middlesex last Monday the notable exception.
In the absence of Matt Prior in the last two games, Sussex have struggled to take advantage of the powerplays while the bowling attack looks worryingly short of star quality while Mushtaq Ahmed recovers from his knee injury.
There was another blow on the morning of the game when Murray Goodwin had to return to Sussex because his son had fallen ill.
Losing a trio of that quality as well as Luke Wright left Sussex with some big holes to fill but to some extent they were the architects of their own downfall, which will frustrate Robinson even more.
They were well placed in the 41st over at 192-3, Carl Hopkinson and Hamilton-Brown having added 74 in 13 overs without any alarms.
Their running between the wickets was excellent and Hamilton-Brown's ability to find the gaps was impressive.
Hopkinson enjoyed the opportunity to play a longer innings from No. 4, three places up the order than he normally occupies. He timed the ball as well as any of his team-mates until a paddle-sweep off Simon Cook looped up gently off his bat.
It was a risky shot played at a time when such a bold approach was not necessary and worse followed in the next over. Hamilton-Brown had judged the quick singles well but he took on van Jaarsveld's arm at mid-wicket and turned in horror to see Andrew Hodd run out by a direct hit.
Perhaps the incident was still praying on Hamilton-Brown's mind because little else could explain why he had a horrible mow across the line in Cook's next over. After that, none of the lower-order batsmen could pick up the momentum.
It had been hard work too against the new ball and Sussex were becalmed for a while when they scored only seven runs in seven overs after reaching 34-0 in the sixth.
Chris Nash once again squandered a promising start when he came down the pitch to Yasir Arafat and Yardy and Adams had to be alert as the ball jagged around.
Adams was just starting to look confident and was mortified to be given out leg before to a ball from Cook he clearly thought he had hit first.
Yardy passed 50 for the second time this season but had added only four more when he fell to the second ball from off-spinner James Tredwell, overbalancing as he tried to drive him down the pitch.
Yardy and fellow left-arm spinner Tom Smith have bowled well in tandem but by the time they came together in the 22nd over the game was already slipping away from Sussex.
Robin Martin-Jenkins did have Matt Walker caught behind as he fenced fatally outside off stump but van Jaarsveld carted the next ball over mid-wicket for six and if Sussex feared the worst at that point it was with every justification.
The South African's 109 not out, off 102 balls with nine fours and three sixes, was his second in the competition this season while Denly seemed to feed on his partner's confidence and made 83 from 123 balls (7x4, 1x6).
Adams used eight bowlers to no avail and while Sussex never stopped trying in the field Kent had 7.5 overs to spare. A side playing with lots of confidence had beaten one who need a break at the moment.
Posted by: jonboy, oxford on 12:04am Mon 12 May 08
Another truly dismal performance again means we can forget this competition for another season At least it gives us the chance to put in a few more of the youngsters. Robbo is looking for some of them to turn in a few match winning performances I hear.Trouble is, most of them have graduated to the team without ever turning in those sort of performances for the secondsX1 We undoubtably have some very promising players but at the moment thats all they are. For me the lack of proper recruitment pre season made this seasons sorry start all too predictable. We have not become a bad team overnight, although we most definately have a weaker squad than last season, its just that most of our competitors have improved. So lets blood the youngsters in the oneday stuff and bat long in the championship. If we cant bowl sides out lets make sure we dont lose,so maximum batting points and no generous declarations. Its a priority to stay in this division at all costs and who knows when the pitches start to turn we may bag a few wins.
Another truly dismal performance again means we can forget this competition for another season At least it gives us the chance to put in a few more of the youngsters. Robbo is looking for some of them to turn in a few match winning performances I hear.Trouble is, most of them have graduated to the team without ever turning in those sort of performances for the secondsX1 We undoubtably have some very promising players but at the moment thats all they are. For me the lack of proper recruitment pre season made this seasons sorry start all too predictable. We have not become a bad team overnight, although we most definately have a weaker squad than last season, its just that most of our competitors have improved. So lets blood the youngsters in the oneday stuff and bat long in the championship. If we cant bowl sides out lets make sure we dont lose,so maximum batting points and no generous declarations. Its a priority to stay in this division at all costs and who knows when the pitches start to turn we may bag a few wins.
Posted by: Neville Coleman, West Sussex on 11:29am Mon 12 May 08
It has been so obvious that we have needed a quality opening batsman for at least the last two seasons,why has this not been sorted.The Harris debacle has also been detrimental to the start.All the other counties seem to have strengthened but we are relying on youngsters proving themselves, which is fair enough but we are playing too many of them in key games.
I think this will be a season for survival in the laegue.As far as the championship is concerend it would be nice to see some wins and not predictable draws because of the flat pitch,by the time we are back to strength,season may weel be over.
It has been so obvious that we have needed a quality opening batsman for at least the last two seasons,why has this not been sorted.The Harris debacle has also been detrimental to the start.All the other counties seem to have strengthened but we are relying on youngsters proving themselves, which is fair enough but we are playing too many of them in key games.
I think this will be a season for survival in the laegue.As far as the championship is concerend it would be nice to see some wins and not predictable draws because of the flat pitch,by the time we are back to strength,season may weel be over.
Posted by: Jonny P, 161-347 on 5:41pm Mon 12 May 08
WAS UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SEE A DISMAL SUSSEX PERFORMANCE AT CANTERBURY...WE WERE EMBARRASSINGLY OUTCLASSED BY A STRONG KENT SIDE...PLUSES WERE HOPKINSON'S FINE KNOCK, SOME PROMISE FROM HAMILTON-BROWN AND YARDY'S SOLID BUT PAINFULLY SLOW 50. IT IS EARLY DAYS BUT COLLYMORE DID NOT IMPRESS, SEEMINGLY RUNNING IN WITH NO REAL PACE AND GUILE WHILE KENT'S ROBBIE JOSEPH, AZHAR MAHMOOD & YASIR ARAFAT HAD OUR BATSMAN TIED UP IN KNOTS...YASIR ARAFAT IS A WONDERFUL SIGNING FOR KENT, HIS ALL ROUND ATTRIBUTES AND ENTHUSISASM WERE THERE FOR ALL TO SEE.
SEVERAL BALLS BOWLED BY MARTIN JENKINS IN PARTCICULAR WERE DISMISSED FROM THEIR PRESENCE BY VAN JARSFELD AND DENLY...THE FORMER HITTING A PATHETIC LOOPING FULL TOSS FROM YARDY ALMOST BACK TO HOVE!!
YES THERE WERE PLAYERS MISSING BUT THIS WAS A PATHETIC PERFORMANCE TO SERVE UP TO THE FANS.
WAS UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SEE A DISMAL SUSSEX PERFORMANCE AT CANTERBURY...WE WERE EMBARRASSINGLY OUTCLASSED BY A STRONG KENT SIDE...PLUSES WERE HOPKINSON'S FINE KNOCK, SOME PROMISE FROM HAMILTON-BROWN AND YARDY'S SOLID BUT PAINFULLY SLOW 50. IT IS EARLY DAYS BUT COLLYMORE DID NOT IMPRESS, SEEMINGLY RUNNING IN WITH NO REAL PACE AND GUILE WHILE KENT'S ROBBIE JOSEPH, AZHAR MAHMOOD & YASIR ARAFAT HAD OUR BATSMAN TIED UP IN KNOTS...YASIR ARAFAT IS A WONDERFUL SIGNING FOR KENT, HIS ALL ROUND ATTRIBUTES AND ENTHUSISASM WERE THERE FOR ALL TO SEE.
SEVERAL BALLS BOWLED BY MARTIN JENKINS IN PARTCICULAR WERE DISMISSED FROM THEIR PRESENCE BY VAN JARSFELD AND DENLY...THE FORMER HITTING A PATHETIC LOOPING FULL TOSS FROM YARDY ALMOST BACK TO HOVE!!
YES THERE WERE PLAYERS MISSING BUT THIS WAS A PATHETIC PERFORMANCE TO SERVE UP TO THE FANS.
Jonny P - I'm afraid that's the pace Collymore bowl nowadays!
Neville - I think the opening batting position is the least of our concerns at the moment! Finding a seamer who can actually take wickets would be a start!
Jonny P - I'm afraid that's the pace Collymore bowl nowadays!
Neville - I think the opening batting position is the least of our concerns at the moment! Finding a seamer who can actually take wickets would be a start!
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