Goodwin secures Sussex victory

Murray Goodwin's innings of 79 led the way for Sussex

Murray Goodwin stroked a measured unbeaten 79 to lead Sussex Sharks to their second successive Twenty20 cup win as Surrey Brown Caps slipped to their sixth defeat, at Hove.

Former Zimbabwe star Goodwin passed 300 runs in the competition as Sussex eased to a target of 165 by six wickets with 16 balls in hand.

Sussex's victory maintains their mathematical chances of reaching the quarter-finals, but Surrey's hopes are now at an end.

Ali Brown starred for the visitors by blasting 51 from 21 balls, but the visitors slumped in the second half of their innings after reaching a promising 102 for two after 10 overs.

Opener Goodwin fired nine fours and two sixes in his fluent 46-ball innings, and he shared in a superb third-wicket stand of 117 in a dozen overs with Matt Prior (56).

Sussex only required a further nine when Prior, after compiling eight fours and a six off 37 balls, holed out at long-on off Jade Dernbach (3-23).

The Sharks, with five defeats in their previous six games, made an uncertain start with Dernbach removing Chris Nash and skipper Chris Adams in the first two overs.

But Goodwin and Prior batted in enterprising fashion before a crowd of 6,200 to produce a match-winning stand and Goodwin raced to his half-century from only 25 balls with two sixes and two fours.

Brown earlier set Surrey up for a competitive total by thumping a breezy half-century with 10 fours and a six over backwards square-leg at the expense of Chris Liddle.

Brown added 84 in eight overs for the second wicket with Mark Ramprakash (33) before being bowled going down the wicket to Dwayne Smith.

Ramprakash got going by heaving James Kirtley over midwicket for six but was later run-out by Robin Martin-Jenkins having added 20 in two overs with Usman Afzaal.

Surrey failed to make the most of their solid platform by losing five wickets for the addition of only eight to slip to 152 for eight in the penultimate over.

Afzaal was fifth out after hitting 37 from 30 balls with two fours and two sixes, but Gary Wilson and Dernbach both fell for ducks whilst Chris Jordan made only a single.