Metro Bank One-Day Cup SUS vs KEN: Sussex Win By

In the heart-pumping SUS vs KEN match at Arundel in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Jack Carson and Archie Lenham came up with a marvelous unbroken eighth-wicket partnership of 88 runs in 11 overs to lead Sussex to a thrilling three-wicket win against Kent, with ten balls remaining.

Kent appeared certain of victory when Sussex were in trouble at 200 for 7 in the 38th over. Oli Carter (68) and John Simpson (50) had previously steadied the innings with a fifth-wicket partnership of 90, but the fall of Danny Lamb for 16 left Sussex’s pursuit on the ropes.

Jack Carson contributed a serenely aggressive knock, his first List A fifty from 43 balls, with five fours and a six. Lenham was the perfect foil, smashing 45 from 38 balls with six boundaries and a six.

The match was in the balance with Sussex requiring 22 from the final three overs. Lenham turned the game around with a furious attack on Michael Cohen, hitting 14 runs from three balls, a high on-drive for six, a powerful square cut for four, and a second boundary off the offside. With only five required from the last two overs, Carson closed out the match by sending the first two balls by Fred Klaassen to the boundary.

Cohen’s Dream Debut for Kent

Earlier in the SUS vs KEN encounter, Michael Cohen, the left-arm seamer of South African origin eligible to play for France, made a breathtaking debut for Kent. His initial spell tore through Sussex’s top order, taking three wickets before coming back to claim the in-form Carter.

Cohen hit with his second ball, catching Danial Ibrahim lbw, and then got rid of Tom Haines with the first ball of his second over. Fynn Hudson-Prentice indicated his intentions with a string of boundaries but perished shortly afterwards as Sussex kept losing early wickets.

Kent’s Batting Story: Strong Stands, Sudden Collapses

Kent were set to bat on a slow track, and lost both of their openers – Jaydn Denly and Ben Compton – in the first six overs of their innings. Joey Evison (52 off 54, 10 fours) and Chris Benjamin rescued the innings with an 81-run partnership, until two exceptional fielding efforts altered the course of the innings.

Danny Lamb took a brilliant one-handed catch to dismiss Benjamin before Carter took an excellent catch off a cut shot to dismiss Evison in the next over.

That’s when the Kent captain Harry Finch and newcomer Ekansh Singh rebuilt the innings again, adding 89 runs off 17 overs before Jack Leaning and debutant Mo Rizvi built further on the total with a 75-run partnership. Late wickets, though, saw Kent remain with a target that Sussex managed to overcome against the odds.