Delray Rawlins’ Sussex captain Luke Wright led by example with a thunderous inning of 82 from 55 balls as Sussex beat Hampshire by six wickets with one ball to spare in the Vitality Blast.
Victory for Sussex was always likely once Wright and Phil Salt had put on 89 for the first wicket in just eight overs – the normally dominating Salt was on 23 when Wright reached his half-century.
But there was drama in the last over, when Sussex still needed six to win. Ravi Bopara was out lbw to the first delivery, bowled by James Fuller.
New batsman Harry Finch then hit a single to leave five off four. David Wiese pulled to the leg-side boundary for another single. But when Fuller bowled a dot ball to Finch Sussex suddenly needed four runs off two balls.
But the Sussex batsman pulled the penultimate delivery of the game to square-leg for four. Wiese was left unbeaten with a cool-headed 43.
Rawlins batting at number 3 was out for 8 after facing 10 balls, he hit one four.
