Cricket

Sussex Sharks extended their winning streak in the Vitality Blast to five victories in seven matches after defeating Kent Spitfires by 31 runs at The 1st Central County Ground in Hove. Kent, on the other hand, suffered their fourth consecutive defeat.Chasing a target of 202, Kent's pursuit was hindered from the outset when Zak Crawley was dismissed for 4 by Ollie Robinson in the opening over. Marcus O'Riordan followed suit in the second over, edging Nathan McAndrew to first slip.The onus fell on Daniel Bell-Drummond and skipper Sam Billings to salvage Kent's innings. The duo forged a 93-run partnership for the third wicket, providing a glimmer of hope. However, Tymal Mills' introduction into the attack proved pivotal. He dismissed Bell-Drummond and Billings in quick succession, effectively ending Kent's hopes.Despite a spirited knock from Joey Evison and a quickfire 18 from Harry Finch, Kent fell short of the target. Danny Lamb completed an impressive all-round performance with figures of 3 for 37.Earlier, Kent opted to field and made a promising start, restricting Sussex to just three runs in the opening two overs. However, Harrison Ward and Daniel Hughes unleashed a flurry of boundaries, propelling Sussex to 68 without loss from the powerplay.Ward reached his fifty from just 24 balls, showcasing his power-hitting prowess. Kent broke through in the seventh over when Hughes was caught at long-leg attempting a third six off Matt Parkinson. Ward followed soon after, caught on the deep midwicket boundary.Sussex lost five wickets for just 36 runs, but Lamb's late hitting ensured they surpassed 200. Kent's bowlers generally performed well, but Swanepoel and Stewart were disappointing.

Sussex's dominance continued on day three of their Vitality County Championship clash against Leicestershire, as they piled up a mammoth 694 for 9 declared, the third-highest total in their first-class history. New captain John Simpson led the charge with a maiden double-century, while Danny Lamb and Ari Karvelas also made significant contributions.Simpson, a former Middlesex wicketkeeper, remained unbeaten on 205, sharing a record-breaking seventh-wicket partnership of 255 with Lamb, who scored a career-best 134. Karvelas, batting at No. 10, added a quickfire 55 off 40 balls.Leicestershire's bowlers had initially contained Sussex with the old ball, but the introduction of the new ball failed to yield the desired results. Lamb and Simpson took full advantage of the docile Kookaburra ball, punishing the Leicestershire bowlers with a flurry of boundaries.Lamb reached his century in just 108 balls, while Simpson took 197 deliveries to reach the milestone. The pair added 150 runs in the morning session alone, as Sussex's total soared past 450.Lamb's dismissal for 134 brought Carson to the crease, who contributed a quickfire 38 with two sixes. Simpson continued to dominate, adding five more sixes to his tally, before declaring Sussex's innings closed with a first-innings lead of 356.Leicestershire's second innings got off to a shaky start as Marcus Harris was caught at short leg off Carson's bowling. However, Rishi Patel and Hassan Azad steadied the ship, taking the score to 86 for 1 at the close of play.With the weather forecast predicting interruptions on the final day, Sussex will be hoping to dismiss Leicestershire for a second time and secure a comprehensive victory.