AN AUGUST ODYSSEY

under their captain, Cheteshwar Pujara. Pujara led by example. And, more than that, he instilled a rare team spirit in his young side. It was Pujara’s attitude and approach, as much as his runs, that made Sussex determined to bring him back to Hove this year.

The Sharks lost their opening match, against Nottinghamshire and they lost their semi-final against a very experienced Lancashire side when they looked capable of going all the way.

But between those two disappointments they won six games out of seven in a strong group and often looked the best team in the land. It was as if the 50-over side operated in its very own microclimate. And the crowds flocked in on a consistent basis to cheer the Sharks on, dispelling the sense of disappointment and cynicism that could often be felt while the club floundered in other competitions. The Royal London Cup provided a late-summer consolation for supporters yearning for better times. That opening defeat was a bit of a worry. Sussex were beaten by 65 runs at Trent Bridge, despite a battling 75 by Tom Alsop, but how they turned matters round after that.

Paul Weaver reflects on an encouraging Royal London Cup campaign.

Sussex supporters have often looked to their one-day cricketers for salvation and it was the same story in 2022. In a desperately disappointing season their performances in the Royal London Cup side lifted the Stygian darkness, as if the floodlights had suddenly been turned on.

Sixty years ago, when Sussex won the original Gillette Cup, they were still 40 years away from their first Championship. Sussex also won the main oneday prize in 1964, 1978, 1986 and 2006, actually managing to win their second Championship in the same summer of that last triumph.

Last season, Sussex were 17th out of 18 in the Championship and there was no joy in the Vitality Blast either. In the Royal London Cup, however, Sussex not only played winning cricket but did so with style, and with a very obvious joie de vivre

Just three days later they beat Gloucestershire by 51 runs at Hove, on the back of a magnificent all-round performance by Delray Rawlins. Delray powered his way to 91 from 62 balls, his best score in List A cricket, as Sussex blitzed their way to a total of 335, with more cerebral contributions from Pujara (63) and Danial Ibrahim (50). Rawlins then took three wickets to snuff out a fighting effort by Gloucestershire.

Leicestershire were next up, and this time Sussex won by eight wickets in a match which lasted just 50.5 overs at the 1st Central County Ground. Leicestershire, who had won two out of two, were bowled out for just 120 in 32.4 overs, with Ari Karvelas – who was born in South Africa and played for Greece – bowling impressively on a green pitch. There was also another three wickets from Rawlins. Then Ali Orr and Tom Clark led the reply as Sussex knocked off the runs in just 18.1 overs.

There was a setback at Edgbaston, but what a thriller it was. Birmingham Bears scored a challenging 310-6, on the back of Rob Yates’ 114 from 111 balls, but a brilliant century by Pujara took Sussex so close and they lost by just four runs.

ORR-SOME: DELIGHT AT TAUNTON FOR ALI ORR AFTER HE SCORED THE FIRST LIST A DOUBLE HUNDRED IN SUSSEX’S HISTORY.

Pujara’s century was not in vain when Sussex beat Surrey by the thumping margin of 216 runs in front of a full house at Hove, with Tom Clark also making a hundred, his first in one-day cricket. The Sharks were now on a roll and their confidence showed in a nail-biting four-wicket win at Durham, with Pujara once again showing the way home with an unbeaten 49 after Orr’s knock of 60.

There was another huge win at Taunton, this time by 201 runs, after the rampant Orr hit a violent 206 from 161 balls, with 11 sixes and 18 fours. It was the first List A double century by a Sussex player.

Alsop almost scored another, but had to be satisfied with an unbeaten 189, as the Sharks produced another big win, this time by 157 runs over Middlesex at Hove. Sussex scored 249 from their last 20 overs, with another great effort from Pujara (132). Their total of 400 was their highest in one-day cricket as they won themselves a home semi-final against Lancashire.

Sadly, that was it. They went down by 65 runs – just as they had in their first game in Nottingham. But what an August odyssey it was! They had cheered everyone up in a very troubled year.

Umpires: Mansoor Quershi & Rob Bailey

Toss: Toss won by - Nottinghamshire, who elected to bat

Result: Nottinghamshire won by 65 runs