Peter Handscomb organises Leicestershire’s victory, with Tom Haines’ 129 not enough

The holders, Leicestershire Foxes, defeated Sussex Sharks by ten runs at Hove to make it three victories out of four in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup this year. But Sussex, who have now lost all five of their games, had a thrilling match that ended with a 716-run total.

Australia’s Peter Handscomb made an incredible 119 from 80 deliveries to lead Leicestershire to 363 for 7.  And that appeared to be much too much for a Sussex team who had only averaged 200 in their preceding four games.

But Sussex, who had made six changes, seemed out of it at 196 for four in the 35th over, and they went on to make an incredible comeback. Their side was back in the running after a 131-run stand in 12 overs between Tom Haines (129) and John Simpson (85). For the season, Simpson has already amassed 477 runs against Leicestershire.

In the 20th over, Ben Mike bowled Tom Clark after he had put on 120 with Haines for the first wicket. Clark had scored 72 off 74 balls. Mike had let him go before he could score.

After that, the Sussex innings faltered as the asking rate increased to more than ten an over and Charlie Tear, Tom Alsop, and Fynn Hudson-Prentice all fell for cheap. The game was turned around by Haines and Simpson, who both drove Liam Trevaskis for consecutive sixes en route to his second List A century. Simpson scored at a rate of 166.66, with eight fours and three sixes. Sussex needed 41 off three, and even with Haines five out at 318, they were still in the game. But it was eventually over when Simpson was out in the penultimate over, needing twenty more runs.

In surprisingly run-friendly conditions, Leicestershire was asked to bat first (the Foxes would have equally surprisingly chosen to bowl). Their big total was based on an opening stand of 129 between Ian Holland (65) and Sol Budinger (84) and a partnership of 146 between their two best batsmen, Handscomb and Ajinkya Rahane (68).

Budinger, who had already demonstrated good form in the competition this season, and all-rounder Holland, who was making his comeback to the team to open both bat and bowl, laid the foundation for their side’s innings by batting through the opening 20 overs, scoring 52 from the first 10-over powerplay, and reaching the hundred mark in the 17th over.

Budinger had already reached fifty three times in four innings, and he and his opening partner had done so by hitting the costly Archie Lenham for six. However, it was Lenham who struck when Holland edged to short third man in the twenty-first over. In 67 balls, he had hit two sixes and eight fours.

After captain Lewis Hill was dismissed cheaply, Budinger’s 77-ball stay came to an end at 109 after he hit five sixes and six fours. However, with Handscomb and Rahane at the crease and the score at 183 for 3 after 30 overs, the Foxes were comfortably ahead. With the exception of Jack Carson and the brilliant Hudson-Prentice, both batters demonstrated their skill by taking advantage of the short boundary on the east side of the stadium. However, the bowlers from Sussex bowled too short given the circumstances. After Handscomb drew his first five balls for four, four, four, and six, Clark’s lone over ended at twenty-two.

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Rahane hit Lenham for six runs to reach 300 in the 44th over, but the batsman was out for the fourth time at 318 as he edged a slower delivery from Hudson-Prentice to the keeper. However, Handscomb continued, hitting two sixes and fifteen fours.