WARWICKSHIRE Head Coach Ian Westwood blamed the county’s failure to qualify for the latter stages of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup on a ‘lack of big contributions’.
The Bears missed out after a 21-run (D/L) home defeat to Sussex.
In a match reduced to 48 overs per side, Sussex totalled 277 for nine with only Tom Clark (82 from 77 balls) building an innings.
Olly Hannon-Dalby’s three for 53 was well-supported by the spinners, who shared five wickets.
Warwickshire’s D/L target was adjusted to 280 from 48 overs, and they were bowled out for 258 in 45.1 overs.
Ed Barnard struck 82 (75) and Alex Davies (74, 90), but Archie Lenham took his maiden List A five-for – five for 48 – as the middle and lower order imploded.
That left Warwickshire’s players clinging to the hope of Middlesex losing to Lancashire – but half an hour later, those hopes ended as Middlesex snuck home by one wicket at Old Trafford.
Westwood told the Bears’ official website: “I’m really disappointed that we collapsed the way we did. It looked good on two counts at one stage as we were cruising, and it looked like Middlesex were going to lose, but the collapse left it out of our hands, and that’s never a nice place to be.
“We thought their total was about par. It was a used wicket, and as the ball got softer, it started to hold and spin a little bit more, and both innings followed a fairly similar pattern. But from the position we were in, with two experienced players at the crease, you hope to get over the line from there. It was looking comfortable, but the game can change quickly, and credit to Lenham, he bowled well and put us under pressure, and unfortunately, we were not good enough to soak up that pressure.
“If you don’t go through, you don’t deserve to. We’ve played some good cricket, but apart from the last game when Barnard got a big hundred, there have not been enough big contributions with the bat. I always felt that might cost us at some point, and that was the case today. If someone had got a hundred, then you get over the line, but most of the way through the competition we’ve relied on 40s and 50s, and that’s not going to win you anything.”
Sussex chose to bat and soon lost Henry Rogers, caught by a diving Hamza Shaikh at extra cover off Hannon-Dalby, but Clark sped to a 45-ball half-century. After a short rain break, Daniel Ibrahim tickled a potential leg side wide from Rob Yates to wicketkeeper Kai Smith.
The fluent Clark was 18 short of emulating his championship century at Edgbaston in April when he lifted Tazeem Ali to deep mid-wicket. Batters throughout the tournament have learned that you attack the young leg-spinner at your peril – Tom Alsop joined the list when his top-edged slog landed in the hands of mid on.
John Simpson fell lbw, sweeping at Jake Lintott, and as the innings stalled against the spinners, it needed late impetus. Danny Lamb provided some with a run-a-ball 42 before reverse-sweeping Lintott to deep point. Bertie Foreman (30, 33) lifted the total over 250, but on a good batting pitch, Sussex appeared around 30 under par.
Warwickshire quickly lost Yates, who sliced a wide Sean Hunt half-volley to point. Zen Malik assured a brisk start with 27 from 25 balls, but then hoisted Clark to long leg.
Barnard and Davies shifted the game their side’s way with a stand of 107 in 99 balls. Barnard was imperious, deploying sparkling footwork to the spinners, but his departure, caught at extra cover off Troy Henry, triggered a collapse.
Although out of the qualification picture, Sussex fought back with great heart. Foreman ousted Shaikh, who reverse-swept to short third, and Lenham removed Davies, caught at extra, and Vansh Jani, bowled cutting, with successive balls.
Lintott swept Lenham to deep mid-wicket, Kai Smith played on, and when Adam Sylvester edged to slip, Vaughan had his 5fer. When Hannon-Dalby swung and missed at Henry Crocombe, the Bears were left hoping for a Middlesex defeat – but that was in vain.
