Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir delivered a stellar performance to lead Essex to a comprehensive six-wicket victory over Sussex in their Vitality Blast clash here at Chelmsford on Friday.
Sussex captain Tymal Mills won the toss and opted to bat first, a decision that backfired as the team was bowled out for 145 in 18.2 overs.
Wicketkeeper-batter John Simpson top-scored with an impressive 52 off just 28 balls, laced with four sixes and three fours.
Daniel Hughes also made a useful contribution, scoring 27 from 15 balls with one six and five boundaries.
Danny Lamb added 19 runs, while Tom Alsop and Harrison Ward chipped in with 13 and nine runs respectively.
However, the rest of the batting lineup failed to fire, with seven Sussex batters unable to reach double figures.
Essex's bowling attack was spearheaded by Mohammad Amir, who returned exceptional figures of 3/16 in his three overs.
He was well supported by Sam Cook, Shane Snater and Simon Harmer, who each picked up two wickets to dismantle the Sussex batting order.
In reply, Essex chased down the 146-run target with ease, reaching 150/4 in just 16.1 overs.
Opener Michael Pepper was the standout performer with the bat, smashing an unbeaten 87 off 47 deliveries, featuring two sixes and 14 boundaries in a dominant display.
He was ably supported by Luke Benkenstein (25) and Charlie Allison (24), while the rest of the batters contributed minimally.
Paul Walter (five), Jordan Cox (four) and Matt Critchley (three) all fell cheaply, but their dismissals had little impact on the outcome.
Sussex's bowling effort was led by Tymal Mills, who took 2/31 runs in his four overs. Nathan Andrew and Henry Crocombe claimed one wicket each, but Essex comfortably crossed the finish line with nearly four overs to spare.
Clinical Hassan
Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali delivered a match-winning bowling performance to lead Birmingham Bears to a 23-run victory over Worcestershire in a thrilling T20 Vitality Blast fixture at the County Ground in Worcester on Friday.
Worcestershire won the toss and elected to bowl first. Bears, batting first, posted a competitive total of 176 runs before being bowled out in 19.5 overs.
The innings was anchored by Sam Hain, who scored a steady 44 off 35 balls, hitting five boundaries.
George Garton added crucial runs late in the innings with an unbeaten 36 off just 22 deliveries, which included three sixes and a four, while Dan Mousley contributed a quickfire 31 from 17 balls, featuring a six and four boundaries.
Additional support came from Alex Davies (19) and Ed Barnard (23), although the lower order faltered, with Hasan Ali, Tom Latham and Danny Briggs each scoring just one run.
Worcestershire's bowling attack was led by Ben Dwarshuis, who claimed 3/30 runs in his four overs.
Pakistan's Khurram Shehzad also made an impact, picking up 2/34 runs in 3.5 overs. Tom Taylor, Adam Finch and Fateh Singh chipped in with a wicket apiece.
Chasing 177, Worcestershire were bowled out for 153 runs in 19.3 overs, falling short despite a valiant half-century from Adam Hose, who scored 51 off 36 balls, including two sixes and five fours.
Gareth Roderick (30) and Isaaq Mohammed (25) provided brief resistance, but the rest of the batting lineup collapsed under pressure, with six batters failing to reach double figures.
Hasan Ali was the standout performer with the ball, finishing with 3/32 in four overs, applying consistent pressure throughout his spell.
Danny Briggs matched his figures with 3/37, while Craig Miles picked up two wickets and Richard Gleeson claimed one.
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