Shadab Khan shines as Sussex hand Glamorgan suffer third defeat on the spin

Shadab Khan struck a brilliant 87 not out as Sussex eased to a 20-run win at Glamorgan in the Vitality Blast.

The Pakistan all-rounder helped the visitors recover from 44 for four to post 182 for six with his superb 53-ball knock.

He then took a wicket and caused a run-out as Glamorgan fell well short as they suffered a third straight defeat.

Both of these teams have a mathematical, if improbable, chance of making the knockout stages but it will be difficult for either side to turn around the net run rate advantage held by other teams in the South Group.

Sussex were in trouble early on as Timm van der Gugten claimed three vital wickets in the opening overs.

He dismissed both openers with full balls that were caught inside the circle and got Oli Carter caught at fine leg when he attempted a scoop shot.

Jamie McIlroy also chipped in with a wicket inside the powerplay, with a stunning catch down the leg side by Chris Cooke ousting Sussex captain Ravi Bopara.

But a 58-run stand between Shadab and Michael Burgess started to build a platform.

Shadab led the fightback as he secured his second half-century of this Blast campaign, but Burgess played his part as he made 29 from 22 balls before he chopped a ball from Andy Gorvin on to his stumps.

Shadab found another willing partner in James Coles as they attacked in the back end of the innings.

The final five overs saw 65 runs added to the total. Shadab passed 50 from 39 balls and put on another 36 runs from the next 14 deliveries he faced.

Early blow

Glamorgan’s hopes of a successful chase took an early blow as Bradley Currie had captain Kiran Carlson caught in the gully from the first ball.

Will Smale and Sam Northeast did a decent job of recovering from the early loss with a stand of 37 before the extra pace of Tymal Mills did for the former.

Northeast, back to opening after a spell in the middle order, looked in fine form as he made 44 from 30 deliveries before he was caught on the boundary by Harrison Ward off the bowling of Bopara.

Chris Cooke was run out in bizarre fashion at the non-strikers’ end by Shadab. Cam Fletcher drilled the ball straight back at the bowler and Shadab stopped the ball with his foot before calmly picking it up and running out Cooke.

The timing of that shot was indictive of how well Fletcher struck the ball throughout his innings. He had made just one run from his two previous visits to the crease for Glamorgan, but he found some form on his way to 57 from 40 balls.

But as wickets fell around Fletcher – including Shadab’s scalp of Van der Gugten – there was little he could do as the required rate crept up.

And he fell attempting to swing for the fences in the final over as Sussex closed out a comfortable victory.