Hope-Bell makes debut century as Glamorgan defeat Sussex

MetroBank One Day Cup, Neath

Glamorgan 295-8 (50): Hope-Bell 123, Horton 122; Hudson-Prentice 5-62

Sussex 283-8 (50): Carson 81, Hudson-Prentince 63; Douthwaite 4-54

Glamorgan won by 12 runs

Scorecard

Glamorgan secured an encouraging first win of this years Metrobank One Day Cup competition at Neath after defeating Sussex in a tense encounter by 12 runs

The hosts posted a challenging 295 total on a sun dreched Gnoll thanks to a magnificent partnership of 240 by Jack Hope-Bell and Alex Horton

Hope-Bell struck a sublime century on debut while Horton notched his highest score for the county as he also reached three figures .

Dan Douthwaite showed his experience with the ball taking 4-54 as the hosts managed to restrict the visitors to 283-8.

Sussex started on the attack during the first 10 overs and through disciplined probing bowling managed to skittle through the top order .

Eddie Byrom, Callum Nichols and Will Smale all went cheaply and despite Henry Hurle and Dan Douthwaite briefly offering some resistance their departures seemed to suggest that Glamorgan were about to fold with the visitors in total domination.

Despite lacking some fluidity early both Hope-Bell and Horton managed to knuckle down and steady the situation for their side as batting gradually became easier on a sun dreched wicket .

Both started to score freely and on a small out ground their confidence grew , Hope-Bell on debut played beyond his years to get to 123, Horton in tandem was his destructive best with a career best 122 with both batters out in the final over as they targeted a total of 300.

In the end they were just short on 295 but their efforts meant the 2nd highest Class A Partnership in the County's history behind none other than the late Hugh Morris and Matthew Maynard against Durham in 1991.

Glamorgan immediately went on the attack with the ball ,Timm Van der Gugten had the early breakthrough with the wicket of potential dangerman Charlie Tear .

But in a similar vein Sussex through their captain Jack Carson and Fynn Hudson-Prentice went through the gears and put on a magnificent 111 for the 6th wicket.

Carson, joined by Toby Munt, put on a further 52 run stand as the captain looked to be steering his side to victory.

But in the end it was his dismissal off the bowling of Dan Douthwaite that proved crucial caught in the deep by none other than the man of the moment Jack Hope-Bell with the Sharks eventually coming up short by 12 runs from their 50 overs

After winning the competition twice in the past five years there is an emphasis this season on blooding the next generation with an eye to the future.

Glamorgan's One Day head coach David Harrison will be more than pleased to get this campaign off to a winning start and continue the momentum when Yorkshire visit the Gnoll on Friday.