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Sussex Sharks
4 times winners of the Kersey Cup, the Sussex Sharks Visually Impaired team continue to be one of the strongest counties in England.
If you’d like to be involved, please contact Andy Dalby-Welsh on 07786 238168
Sussex VI players help England Blind team retain the Ashes
Australia v England 4th ODI - 14th December 2008
Howell Oval, Penrith
England retained the Ashes at 4.37pm when Luke Sugg scored the winning run to give the visitors an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
Australia won the toss for the fourth time but decided to bat. They gave debuts to Corey Heberley and Lawrence Anag while England kept an unchanged team.
The new opening pair of Heberley and Mark Haskett were soon separated when Heindrich Swanepoel bowled Haskett . Michael Zannis was bowled by Luke Sugg and when Heberley was run out the Australians were in trouble at 79-3. Nick Haydar was joined by his captain Peter Robinson in a stand of 176 in 24 overs which ensured that Australia made a competitive total. Robinson used the reverse sweep to good effect although Haydar was not at his most fluent. Again good England fielding restricted the pair who both made fifties. England once again bowled an unacceptable number of wides. Robinson was eventually run out by Swanepoel while Haydar remained unbeaten on 87 in a total of 264-5.
Defending a total of under 300 Australia had no option but to take early wickets. Robinson and Lindsay Heaven bowled the first ten overs and by the fifth over England were in the unfamiliar position of having lost both Andy Powers and Nathan Foy at 39-2 both bowled by Heaven. A century stand between Sugg and Matt Dean and another between Sugg and Gavin Dean gave England a comfortable victory with 4.1 overs to spare.
England were always ahead of the required rate and sensible batting meant that the Australians ran out of options despite another disciplined bowling performance. Shots behind the wicket using the pace of the ball nullified the effect of the quicker bowlers.
Man-of-the-match Sugg finished unbeaten on 112. His first international century was a riskless model of concentration . His second century partnership of the series with Gavin Dean shows the depth of England’s batting and the rapid improvement in Dean’s game.
Both teams enjoyed the excellent facilities at Howell Oval where Penrith Council were instrumental in providing hospitality.
The last match of the series took place at Bankstown Oval the following day..
