Sussex Sharks batter Tom Alsop hit a stunning boundary during his team’s Vitality T20 Blast 2024 clash against Kent Spitfires at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury on Friday, July 12. This spectacular shot occurred on the second ball of the 16th over, bowled by Kent pacer Tom Rogers.
Kent Spitfires skipper Sam Billings won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Sussex Sharks were struggling at 64-4 at one stage in their innings. However, an unbeaten 139-run fifth-wicket partnership between wicketkeeper-batter John Simpson and Tom Alsop powered them to 203-4 in 20 overs.
Simpson scored 53* runs off 39 balls, while Alsop was unstoppable, smashing 87* runs off just 41 balls. His knock included seven fours and four sixes, achieving a strike rate of 212.20.
Chasing 204 runs for victory, Kent Spitfires lost wickets at regular intervals and their batters struggled to build momentum. Opener Tawanda Muyeye was the top scorer with 45 runs off 26 balls, but no other batsmen stepped up to chase the massive target.
Kent was eventually bowled out for just 115 runs in 16.2 overs, losing the match by 88 runs. James Coles was the standout bowler, finishing with figures of 4-12 in his four-over spell. With this win, Sussex Sharks are now second in the ongoing Vitality T20 Blast 2024 South Group with 16 points from 12 matches, two points behind table-toppers Surrey.
Meanwhile, Kent Spitfires are at the bottom of the nine-team standings with six points from 13 matches. The Sussex Sharks will next face Somerset in Taunton on Thursday, July 18, while the Spitfires are set to play Surrey in Canterbury the following day.