In T20 Vitality Blast cricket clash, Sussex Sharks’ Shadab Khan put up a noteworthy bowling performance against Essex, despite his team’s loss.
Essex found their innings stabilised by Feroze Khushi, but it was Shadab who stole the limelight with his penetrating and consistent attacks on the Essex batsmen.
The Sussex spinner first made his mark when he dismissed Matt Critchley for a paltry 9 runs. The wicket, a catch claimed by Tom Alsop, gave Sussex the momentum they were looking for. Demonstrating his precision, Shadab swiftly dismissed another batsman, Paul Walter, on the very next ball without him scoring a single run. This outstanding double blow put Essex on the defensive, with the crowd holding its breath in anticipation of a possible hat-trick.
While Shadab missed out on achieving the hat-trick and even gave away a few boundaries in his third over, he did not let this affect his focus. In a strong comeback during his final over, he claimed the wicket of Tom Westley, who had managed to score just 2 runs.
With an impressive bowling card of 3/28 in his designated four overs, Shadab played a crucial role in curbing Essex to a manageable total of 163/7 in their allotted 20 overs.
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However, when it came to batting, Shadab’s impressive run on the field hit a snag. His first encounter with the ball ended with him heading back to the pavilion, dismissed by Simon Harmer without scoring a run.
Sussex’s chase seemed jinxed as wickets fell consistently throughout the innings. The batting collapse led to Sussex being bowled out for 138, falling short of their target by 25 runs and handing victory to Essex.
