Goodwin ton outshines Szwarczynski

Sussex 226 for 5 beat Netherlands 225 for 7 by five wickets
Scorecard

Michael Yardy made a successful return to competitive cricket as he led Sussex Sharks to a five-wicket victory over Holland in the Clydesdale Bank 40 at Hove.

Five weeks since he returned home early from England's World Cup campaign to be treated for depression, the 30-year-old took 1 for 36 with his left-arm spin and then made 39 as the Sharks overhauled their target of 226 with 19 balls to spare thanks to an unbeaten 109 from Murray Goodwin.

In his first competitive game since he helped England beat South Africa in Chennai nearly two months ago, Yardy brought himself on in the 10th over and immediately put the brakes on a fast start by the Dutch openers Eric Szwarczynski and Wesley Baresi, who had put on 64 before Baresi was caught down the leg side off Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.

In his first six-over spell Yardy conceded just 23 runs and picked up the wicket of Tom Cooper who was caught behind trying to turn a ball down the leg side. When he returned to the attack Szwarczynski swatted him over long off for six on his way his maiden one-day hundred.

Szwarczynski, 28, played some stylish shots off the front foot and reached his hundred when he dug out a yorker from Naved and deflected it fine for one of 13 boundaries. He departed in unfortunate circumstances when he was run out backing up too far when Yardy, in his final over, deflected Mudassar Bukhari's straight drive onto the stumps. Szwarczynski faced 117 balls for his 111.

None of his team-mates made more than Baresi's 21 as Holland lost their way after reaching 105 for 1 in the 18th over. Chris Nash picked up 3 for 30 with his off breaks but Amjad Khan had to leave the field halfway through his fourth over suffering from a calf problem.

Sussex's reply began poorly when Ed Joyce, who made 28 for Ireland when they beat Holland in the World Cup, drove loosely to extra cover. Nash mis-timed a pull off the splice to mid-off and Bukhari had picked up his third wicket when Naved was bowled slogging across the line.

That left the Sharks on 47 for 3 in the eighth over but Yardy and Goodwin took control on a flat pitch against an attack which offered little menace once Mudassar had been seen off. They added 80 in 15 overs before Yardy played on to Berend Westdijk, having struck four boundaries.

Goodwin played superbly and cruised to the eighth one-day hundred of his career which he reached with his 15th boundary. The 38-year-old finished unbeaten on 109 from 88 balls, sealing Sussex's first victory in this season's competition with a straight six off Shane Mott.