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Sussex keep their nerve to hold off Hampshire - and now it's six wins from eight

Tymal Mills praised Sussex for keeping their nerve <i>(Image: The Argus)</i>
Tymal Mills praised Sussex for keeping their nerve (Image: The Argus)

Tymal Mills said Sussex held their nerve in a big Vitality Blast away win.

Sharks beat Hampshire by seven runs at thee Utilita Bowl to go into the break with six wins from eight games.

They are second in the south group and well-placed to reach the knockout stages.

Sussex’s lower order helped them to a competitive 184-8 having been 73-5 at midway.

They resisted a strong Hampshire reply to go six points clear of their opponents in the standings.

Sussex skipper Mills said: “We’ve had a few starts this season but our middle and lower order have bailed us out.

“Nathan McAndrew played a brilliant knock, which he’s done a few times, and we walked off knowing it was a score we could defend.

“It got a bit close in the end but it rounds off a really excellent first eight games for us.

“In the last few overs I just told the bowlers to bowl their best ball in that situation. I’ve played a lot of cricket here in the Hundred and know it gets easier to chase.

“I thought we held our nerve brilliantly, especially young James Coles bowling the 15th over and getting James Vince out.

“These are games we probably would have lost in the last couple of years but the whole squad have got more confident.

“We can still get better but we’re happy with how we have gone so far in the comp.”

McAndrew hammered 32 off 11 balls and got help from Tom Alsop’s 43 off 27.

Vince bagged his fifth 50-plus score in his last six T20 innings against Sussex and Joe Weatherley picked up 68 not out.

But McAndrew returned 1-21 before Danny Lamb defended 25 off the last over – after the first four balls each went for four.