Lamb puts Payne to the slaughter as Sussex keep top-four hopes alive

Danny Lamb held his nerve to hit 16 runs off five balls and carry Sussex Sharks to a dramatic last-ball four-wicket win over Gloucestershire in a thrilling Vitality Blast encounter on the opening day of the Towergate Cheltenham Festival.

Chasing a victory target of 186, Sharks required 15 runs off the final over, bowled by David Payne. Lamb clubbed three boundaries, including one off the final ball, to stun a large festival audience into silence and end Gloucestershire's defence of the title they lifted last year.

James Coles hit 62 from 40 balls and Tom Alsop 55 from 33, these two staging a superb fourth-wicket alliance of 106 in 9.2 overs to set-up a remarkable win and keep alive Sharks' chances of making the quarter-finals.

D'Arcy Short top-scored with a 45-ball 66, struck seven fours and three sixes and dominated a stand of 81 in 8.5 overs with fellow Australian Cameron Bancroft, who contributed 45, while Ben Charlesworth blazed 44 not out at the death as Gloucestershire posted 185 for 5. Henry Crocombe claimed 3 for 32 and Nathan McAndrew 1 for 21 from four tight overs to keep Sharks in the hunt.

Gloucestershire skipper Jack Taylor's decision to bat first was vindicated by Miles Hammond and Short, who staged an enterprising opening stand of 26 in three overs. Cheltenham-born Hammond twice clipped Ollie Robinson off his legs for four and then put Tymal Mills over the rope at deep midwicket to energize a sell-out crowd of 5000.

There were mixed fortunes for Robinson, who had Hammond held at backward point for 18, only to then blot his copybook by dropping Short at mid-off on 8 off the bowling of McAndrew. Short rubbed salt in the wound, twice driving the former England bowler down the ground and then cutting him for another four as the powerplay yielded 51 runs. Bancroft proved adept at rotating the strike as the second wicket pair posted 50 in 33 balls. Feeding off the pace of Mills, Short pulled him backward of square for an imposing six before going to his fourth half century in five innings via 37 deliveries.

Handily-placed on 86 for 1 at halfway, Gloucestershire kicked on, Short twice lifting Coles over midwicket for six as the score entered three figures in the 11th. Introduced at the College Lawn End, Crocombe broke the partnership, persuading Short to hole out on the square-leg boundary with the score 107 for 2.

Relief proved only temporary for the Sussex seamers, Charlesworth putting a short ball from Crocombe over square and out of the ground before lifting Lamb into the crowd at long-on to propel Gloucestershire to 134 for 2 after 15 overs. Crocombe stuck to his task and produced a quicker delivery to bowl Bancroft for 45 and terminate an innings that had occupied 33 balls and included five fours. That was the cue for Charlesworth to launch a late offensive, the left-hander producing a fusillade of boundaries to finish unbeaten on 44 from 24 balls with three fours and three sixes as Gloucestershire attained a competitive total.

Sharks required a decent start and openers George Thomas and Daniel Hughes obliged, adding 29 in 4.2 overs. But Gloucestershire hit back, Josh Shaw comprehensively bowling Thomas for a 17-ball 22 and Ajeet Singh Dale having Tom Clark brilliantly held by Hammond at long-off as the visitors reached the end of the powerplay on 44 for 2.

When Marchant de Lange produced a startling yorker and clean bowled key man Hughes for 17 in the ninth, Sussex were 57 for 3 and under pressure. Much depended on Coles and Alsop, who advanced the score to 67 for 3 after 10 overs, at which point the visitors required a further 93 at 12 an over.

Alsop served notice of his intentions by straight hitting Singh Dale for six and then guiding a wide delivery to the third man boundary as the 11th over yielded 17 runs, while Coles opened his shoulders to equally good effect as the boundary count began to climb and the fourth-wicket partnership realised 50 from 26 balls.

Coles received a let-off on 35, Short putting down a sharp chance at long-off, much to the chagrin of the returning Payne. The right-hander took advantage to go to 50 from 34 balls, while Alsop hit Singh Dale over the long-on boundary as the 16th over haemorrhaged 16 runs to keep Sharks in the hunt.

Coles then hoisted de Lange over cow corner for six and then plundered an off-driven four to bring up the 150, leaving Sharks to score 34 off the final three overs. Gloucestershire needed a breakthrough and Charlesworth provided it, having Coles held by Ollie Price at long-off, leaving the visitors to score 23 off 12 balls.

Alsop raised 50 from 31 balls and was then brilliantly caught by Short at deep square as Shaw struck a crucial blow in the penultimate over. Needing to score 15 off the final over, bowled by the experienced Payne, Sussex suffered another setback when John Simpson was run out by Hammond. But Lamb clipped Payne for four to fine leg and then hit him through the covers for another boundary to leave Sharks needing one off the last ball. Lamb drove it for four to break Gloucestershire hearts.