Glamorgan, jo apne pehle teen mein se do match jeet chuka tha, shuruaat mein confident dikha, lekin unka yeh confidence zyada der tak nahi tik paya. Sussex ne na sirf unke iraadon ko thokar maari, balki 78 runs ke bade farak se jeet haasil ki, aur yeh sab James Coles aur Nathan McAndrew ke dum par.
Shuruaat mein Glamorgan ke bowlers ne thodi si ummeed jagayi thi. Jamie McIlroy ne apne spell mein 2 wickets jhatke, lekin unke saath ke bowlers, jaise Dan Douthwaite, jinka ek over 16 runs de gaya, pressure nahi bana sake. Sussex ke batsmen, khaas taur par Coles aur Tom Alsop, ne iska poora fayda uthaya. Coles ne 43 balls mein unbeaten 75 runs banaye, jismein ek shandaar six bhi shamil tha, jab unhone Douthwaite ko straight drive kiya. Alsop ne bhi 27 balls mein 50 runs thok diye, aur dono ne milkar Glamorgan ke bowlers ko poore 20 overs tak pareshan kiya. Sussex ka final score 195/4 tha, jo Hove ke maidan par ek challenging total tha. Yeh waisa hi aggressive batting tha jaisa humne 2019 ke Vitality Blast mein dekha tha jab Sussex ke Laurie Evans ne Somerset ke khilaaf 96 runs ki shandaar innings kheli thi, aur team ko semi-finals tak le gaye the.
Jab Glamorgan ki batting aayi, toh unke fans ko ummeed thi ki Kiran Carson ya Colin Ingram jaise experienced players team ko sambhal lenge. Lekin yahan se Nathan McAndrew ne apna jadoo chalaya. Australian pacer ne apne pehle hi over mein Ben Kellaway ko deep midwicket par out kiya aur phir Colin Ingram ko glove ke zariye wicketkeeper ke haathon lapakwa diya. McAndrew ka spell itna zabardast tha ki unhone apne 4 overs mein sirf 19 runs diye aur 5 wickets le liye, jismein do baar hat-trick ke kareeb bhi aaye. Glamorgan ke batsmen, jo ek waqt 49/7 par the, bas dekh hi sakte the jab unka batting order teeli ki tarah toot gaya. Yeh waisa hi ek-sided performance tha jaisa 2003 World Cup mein Glenn McGrath ne Namibia ke khilaaf 7/15 ka spell daala tha, jahan opposition ke paas koi jawab nahi tha.
Sussex ke liye yeh jeet ek bada boost hai, kyunki Vitality Blast mein consistency hamesha ek challenge hota hai. Coles, jo abhi 21 saal ke hain, dikhate hain ki woh T20 cricket mein ek bada naam ban sakte hain. Unki yeh innings unki pehle ki performances jaise Middlesex ke khilaaf 77* (2025 Blast opener) ko yaad dilati hai, jahan unhone apni team ko mushkil waqt se nikaala tha. McAndrew bhi apne aap ko ek reliable death bowler sabit kar rahe hain, aur unka yeh spell Sussex ke bowling attack ko aur mazboot karta hai. Team ke liye yeh teesri jeet thi chaar matches mein, jo unhe South Group mein strong position mein rakhta hai.
Lekin yeh jeet ke bawajood, Sussex ke liye sab kuch perfect nahi hai. Unke top-order mein abhi bhi thodi inconsistency hai, aur agar Alsop ya Coles fail ho jate, toh shayad yeh total itna bada nahi hota. Glamorgan ke liye toh yeh match ek wake-up call hai. Unke batsmen ko apni approach par dobara sochna hoga, kyunki 117 runs par out hona kisi bhi team ke liye sharmnaak hai. Agla match Essex ke khilaaf hai, aur agar Glamorgan ko wapas form mein aana hai, toh unhe apne batting aur bowling dono mein discipline dikhani hogi. Warna, yeh season unke liye ek lamba aur mushkil safar ban sakta hai.
