7:25pm Sunday 5th July 2009
Sussex are through to their tenth Lord's final after a brilliant century from opener Ed Joyce set up a 34-run win over Gloucestershire in today's Friends Provident Trophy semi-final at Hove.
The 30-year-old opener, who made the last of his 17 one-day international appearances at the 2007 World Cup, strengthened his claims for an England recall with a career-best 146 as Sussex piled up 326-7, their largest one-day total at Hove.
Gloucestershire skipper Alex Gidman's decision to field first appeared to have backfired badly but Gidman seemed determined to make amends when he matched Joyce with a one-day best of his own.
He was still there when the Gladiators began the last ten overs needing 78, a realistic target on a brown, parched outfield.
But with the third ball of his second spell Sussex skipper Mike Yardy had Gidman superbly caught by wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd for 116 made off 117 balls including 12 fours.
In the next over Hodd pulled off a leg-side stumping to remove the dangerous Steve Adshead and an asking rate of nine an over proved beyond Gloucestershire at the death.
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