Glenn Phillips smacks 94* again as Gloucestershire sack Hove to top South Group

Glenn Phillips scored an unbeaten 94 for the second game running as Gloucestershire beat Sussex Sharks by 27 runs at Hove to make it four successive wins in the Vitality Blast and stay top of the South Group.

The 24-year-old New Zealander led a superb recovery from 35 for 4 at the end of the Powerplay to 162 for 5 against the previously unbeaten Sharks. Gloucestershire's seamers, led by Benny Howell who took four wickets, then did their bit to ensure Phillips' efforts did not go to waste. Only Luke Wright, with 33, got the measure of conditions as Sussex were dismissed for 135.

Such a scenario looked unlikely when Gloucestershire made a poor start having been put in. Ollie Robinson, making his first first-team appearance since he was banned by the ECB for posting offensive tweets, had Miles Hammond caught at long-on off his third ball before Howell was run out by Ravi Bopara's direct hit from extra cover.

Tymal Mills had Chris Dent caught behind and James Bracey taken at midwicket in his first over but that was the last success Sussex enjoyed until Mills, who finished with 3 for 20, removed skipper Jack Taylor in the final over.

Taylor helped Phillips add 124, a new Gloucestershire T20 record for any wicket against Sussex, although it wasn't until deep in the innings before they really cut loose when 82 runs were plundered in the final seven overs, including 25 off left-armer George Garton in his last appearance before he joins up with England's one-day squad.

Phillips, who made an unbeaten 94 against Glamorgan on Thursday, didn't hit his first six until the 12th over but added four more and seven boundaries, to take his competition aggregate to 266 runs while Taylor gave him excellent support with 38.

Sussex would still have fancied their chances of chasing at eight an over, but they never recovered from losing Phil Salt and Travis Head in David Payne's opening burst. Bopara and David Wiese also went cheaply and after skipper Wright sliced a drive off Howell to backward point for 33 in the ninth over Sussex's race was effectively run.

Howell bowled outstandingly, finishing with 4 for 15 as the Sharks slumped to 78 for 8 before Robinson and Mills hit career-bests at the end to provide the 2500 crowd with some entertainment.