Matches (19)
IPL (3)
Women's Tri-Series (SL) (1)
WCL 2 (1)
HKG T20 (1)
County DIV1 (3)
County DIV2 (4)
WT20 QUAD (in Thailand) (2)
OMA-W vs BAH-W (1)
CZE-W vs CYP-W (2)
PSL (1)
RESULT
South Group (N), Canterbury, July 18, 2021, Vitality Blast
130/7
(17.1/20 ov, T:131) 134/6

Sussex won by 4 wickets (with 17 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
19 (26) & 3/15
ravi-bopara
Report

Sussex seal quarter-final spot as Jofra Archer makes low-key return

Luke Wright, Delray Rawlins overhaul small target to secure quarter-final vs Yorkshire

ECB Reporters' Network and ESPNcricinfo staff
18-Jul-2021
Jofra Archer looks on, Sussex vs Kent, Vitality Blast, June 1, 2019

Jofra Archer returned from injury (file photo)  •  PA Images/Getty

Sussex 134 for 6 (Wright 39, Podmore 3-35) beat Kent 130 for 7 (Bopara 3-15) by four wickets
Jofra Archer made a low-key return from his elbow injury to help Sussex seal a quarter-final spot in the Vitality Blast by beating a depleted Kent side by four wickets at Canterbury.
Archer was restricted to three overs as an injury precaution, returning figures of 0 for 20 as he bowled two overs with the new ball and then returned to bowl the 19th. It was his first appearance since May, when he aggravated an elbow injury during a County Championship match against Kent and was required to undergo surgery.
Sussex finished on 134 for 6, Luke Wright's 39 and Delray Rawlins' 33 steering them into the last eight with 2.5 overs to spare.
Earlier Ravi Bopara took 3 for 15 and David Wiese 2 for 16 as a Kent side with 15 first-teamers still isolating struggled 130 for 7, Calum MacLeod - the Scotland batter on a short-term deal - their top scorer with 31.
Kent had already ensured top spot in the South Group and will play their quarter-final against Birmingham Bears at the St Lawrence Ground despite tonight's defeat, while Sussex will play Yorkshire at Chester-le-Street on August 24.
Kent won the toss and chose to bat, but Wiese quickly removed the openers, getting George Munsey caught by Oliver Carter for 11. Zak Crawley was given a life when Harrison Ward fell over while attempting to catch him at deep point, but Wiese then deceived him with a slower ball, which he chipped to Ollie Robinson at mid-on for 19.
Will Beer caught and bowled Heino Kuhn for four with his first ball, before Harry Finch and MacLeod partially rebuilt the innings with a stand of 44.
Finch, however, fell for 30, caught by Ollie Robinson off Bopara and when MacLeod was lbw to Rashid Khan, Kent were 101 for 5.
It was left to the lower order to nudge the score towards respectability. Dan Lincoln was caught by Wiese for 10 and the same combination removed Harry Podmore for 0, leaving Marcus O'Riordan and Safyaan Sharif unbeaten on 13 and 7.
The target looked low and although Elliot Hooper bowled Phil Salt for a duck with the third ball of Sussex's innings, Wright and Bopara put on 61 for the next wicket. There was a wobble when the former holed out to O'Riordan and was caught by Munsey for 39, and Bopara was out in the same over for 19, caught by Matt Quinn.
However, Crawley stumbled when well-placed to catch Rawlins and by the time Wiese was caught by Kuhn off Podmore for 21, the run rate was down to 2.8.
Just two were needed when Kuhn made a diving catch off Podmore to dismiss Ward for 8 and Rawlins skied the next ball to O'Riordan, but Khan hit the winning runs with a four through cow corner.

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Sussex Innings
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Vitality Blast

North Group
TeamMWLPTNRR
NOT1492211.503
YOR1375150.305
LAN1475160.205
BEARS1476150.006
WOR146614-0.629
LEI146812-0.019
DUR145811-0.228
DER12479-0.326
NOR13489-0.871
South Group
TeamMWLPTNRR
KEN1494190.657
SOM1484180.371
SUS1463170.479
HAM1465150.388
SUR1465150.332
GLO1466140.201
ESS145811-0.468
MID14499-0.389
GLA14398-1.371