RESULT
Group A, Arundel, May 23, 2010, Clydesdale Bank 40
325/4
(39.3/40 ov, T:326) 327/4

Unicorns won by 6 wickets (with 3 balls remaining)

Report

Unicorns stun Sussex in record chase

The Unicorns stunned Sussex by making the highest score by any side batting second in the history of 40-over cricket to beat the reigning champions by six wickets at Arundel

Cricinfo staff
23-May-2010
Unicorns 327 for 4 beat Sussex 325 for 4 by 6 wickets
Scorecard
The Unicorns stunned Sussex by making the highest score by any side batting second in the history of 40-over cricket to beat the reigning champions by six wickets at Arundel. Former Somerset allrounder Wes Durston led the chase with 117 off 68 balls as the Unicorns, a side made up of the best amateur players in the country, got home with three balls to spare.
On a flat pitch, Durston hit 13 fours and five sixes and figured in a match-winning third-wicket stand of 165 in just 18 overs with Josh Knappett, who anchored the run chase with 90 off 84 balls. Durston was caught behind off Yasir Arafat and the Pakistan quick bowler yorked Knappett in the penultimate over when eight runs were needed off eight balls.
With James Kirtley nursing a sore shoulder, Luke Wright had to bowl the final over but Sean Park inside-edged his third ball to the boundary and the Unicorns could celebrate back-to-back wins in Group A following last week's success over Glamorgan.
It was a nightmare return to county action for Sussex skipper Mike Yardy and Wright after he had helped England win the World Twenty20 a week ago. Yardy did take the wicket of Jackson Thompson with his fifth ball but his decision to keep himself on at the start of the Unicorns' four-over batting power-play backfired when he was hit for 18.
Yardy made seven bowling changes between the 20th and 27th overs but Durston, whose previous highest score in List A cricket had been an unbeaten 62 four years ago, was enjoying himself and he went to his hundred in magnificent style with a third successive six off off-spinner Chris Nash.
All this came after Sussex had piled up 325 for four, their highest score in 40-over cricket. Wright, who came in after Nash and Ed Joyce had put on 89 in 14 overs for the first wicket, cleared the rope three times in his favourite areas on the leg side on his way to 38 off 27 balls before he top-edged looking to clear midwicket again and was well caught by the diving Neil Hancock as he ran in from the boundary.
Yardy was strangled down the leg side after contributing 36 to a stand of 95 from 69 balls with Murray Goodwin, who held the second half of the innings together with an unbeaten 92 from just 59 balls with 11 fours and two sixes. Goodwin found a willing ally at the end in Joe Gatting who made his highest score of the season in any competition with 55 from just 29 balls including a six and 11 fours.
Sussex scored 180 of their runs in boundaries but the Unicorns' cause was not helped when former Warwickshire seamer Tom Mees had to be taken out of the attack after bowling just 3.5 overs having been warned three times by umpire David Millns for running on the pitch.
Chris Brown, who bowled Nash round his legs after the opener made 53 from 41 balls, also held a juggling return catch to dismiss Ed Joyce while Durston had the satisfaction of removing Wright. They kept a check on the scoring rate until the last five overs when Goodwin and Gatting smashed 74 runs against a tiring attack.
It should have been defendable but Sussex's attack was taken apart with only Monty Panesar conceding less than seven runs an over.

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Unicorns Innings
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Clydesdale Bank 40

Group A
TEAMMWLDPTNRR
SOM121020201.491
SUSS12730160.903
SURR1264014-0.006
LANCS1266012-0.315
WORCS124808-0.196
UNI123708-0.470
GLAM122805-1.585
Group B
TEAMMWLDPTNRR
YORKS121020200.384
ESSEX12920190.314
GLOUC12930180.659
DERBS124808-0.037
NHNTS124808-0.038
MIDDX123708-0.445
NED1211003-0.999
Group C
TEAMMWLDPTNRR
WARKS12930180.314
KENT12730160.774
NOTTS12740150.348
HANTS12660120.006
DURH12560110.262
LEICS124808-0.220
SCOT1221004-1.225