A remarkable and unbroken eighth wicket stand of 88 in 11 over between Jack Carson and Archie Lenham saw Sussex to an unlikely three wicket win over Kent with ten balls to spare in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup at Arundel.
Kent looked home and dry in their opening game when they had Sussex 200 for seven in the 38th over. They had weathered a fifth wicket stand of 90 between Oli Carter (68) and John Simpson (50) and then dismissed the dangerous Danny Lamb for 16.
But Carson struck his maiden List A fifty off 43 balls, with five fours and a six. And Lenham made 45 off 38 with six fours and a six. The match was still in doubt with 22 needed off the last three overs.
And it was leg-spinner Lenham who settled the argument when he hit Mikey Cohen for 14 off three balls, an on-drive for six, a square slash for four and an off-drive for another boundary. That left Sussex needing five from the last two overs and Carson hit the first two deliveries from Fred Klassen for four.
Earlier, Cohen, a South African-born left-arm seamer who is qualified to play for France, looked set to be the hero of the day. He had made a memorable first appearance for Kent when he took three wickets in his opening spell before returning to dismiss danger man Carter.
Cohen, whose debut had been delayed by injury, struck with his second ball when he had Danial Ibrahim lbw and broke through again with the first ball of his second over when he bowled one across the left-handed Tom Haines to have the batsman caught behind.
Fynn Hudson-Prentice looked anxious to dispel local concerns that he was batting too high in the order at No 4 when he flicked Cohen for two leg-side fours before driving him for two more.
But Sussex kept losing wickets. Tom Clark had his middle stump knocked back by Klaassen as he went for an extravagant off-side stroke to make it 50 for three and in the next over the dangerous Hudson-Prentice was caught at backward square-leg.
Sussex, who had lost their opening game against Durham, decided to bowl first on a slow pitch and made a good start. Jaydn Denly, driving, was well caught by Henry Crocombe at backward point off the last delivery of the first over and opening partner Ben Compton was caught behind off Ari Karvelas to make it 27 for two in the sixth over.
Kent rebuilt through Joey Evison and and Chris Benjamin, who added 81 in 14 overs before both were dismissed by exceptional pieces of fielding. Lamb came on to bowl the 20th over and off his first delivery he produced an outstanding one-handed catch, flinging himself to his left, to dismiss the bewildered Benjamin.
And in the next over Carter held on to a stinging catch at short midwicket to end Evison’s innings, a 54-ball 52 which included ten fours.
For the second time Kent, winners of the competition in 2022, regrouped again, first through captain Harry Finch – a former Sussex player – and the Orpington-born Ekansh Singh, a recent century maker for the England Under-19 side, who put on 89 in 17 overs, and then again through Jack Leaning and Mo Rizvi, making his debut in the competition.
They put on 75 before the innings ended as it had started, with a flurry of wickets.
Jack Carson (Sussex): “It was really nice to be part of that match and get us over the line. A lot of people came here to support us and it was nice to see us win a good game of cricket. The lads did a lot of good work at the top of the order, so we didn’t need to take too many big risks.
Archie Lenham (Sussex): “”We were quietly confident. We didn’t need too many runs per over. Me and Jack both back our batting. Jack was such a calm head out there. He talks a lot of sense. It always feels special to play here and the crowd made a lot of noise for us.”
Mikey Cohen (Kent):
“Hats off to them They played incredibly through the middle and gave us minimal chances, so congratulations to them. It is a tough one to take; they played really well.
“Through the middle order, we set ourselves up really well; 287, from three downwards, everyone went about their business, including young Ekansh Singh. It is incredible to see just how senior he looks batting out there; it looks like he’s done it for years. It is incredible to think it’s just his fifth or sixth List A game.
“I was really excited (for my debut), but then you forget how hard cricket is when you’re out there! Physically, mentally, it was a long game – devastating not to win it. Personally, very mixed. I would have preferred to get us over the line, and I’d be a lot happier about the wickets than I am right now.”