Image: Sussex defeated Gloucestershire with no balls remaining / © ESPNCricinfo
The sun was setting, but the Vitality Blast Men’s South Group clash on July 17, 2025, was just heating up. Gloucestershire, opting to bat first, put on a show, piling up 185/5 in their 20 overs to set Sussex a steep challenge. Their innings was a rollercoaster, blazing starts, a solid middle phase, a couple of wobbles, and a late explosion that had the crowd buzzing. On a pitch that gave batters a chance to swing but offered bowlers something to work with, Gloucestershire’s mix of grit and aggression laid the foundation for a thriller.
Miles Hammond and D’Arcy Short walked out to open, with Hammond ready to take the attack to Sussex. He didn’t disappoint, tearing into the bowlers with a ferocity that set the tone. Two crisp fours and a towering six flew off his bat as he raced to 18 off just 11 balls. The Cheltenham faithful were on their feet, but the joy was short-lived. In the 3.1st over, Ollie Robinson found the edge, and James Coles held a sharp catch to send Hammond packing. Gloucestershire were 24/1, and the early loss could’ve rattled them, but Short had other plans. The Australian left-hander played like a man on a mission, anchoring the innings with a blend of caution and class.
His 66 off 45 balls was the heartbeat of the innings, studded with seven boundaries and three massive sixes that soared into the stands. Short’s knack for finding gaps and punishing loose balls kept the scoreboard ticking, giving Gloucestershire a foothold. Enter Cameron Bancroft, the wicketkeeper, whose steady hand complemented Short’s flair. Bancroft’s 45 off 33 balls, with five well-timed fours, was the perfect counterpoint to his partner’s aggression. Together, they forged an 81-run stand for the second wicket, a partnership that steadied the ship and pushed Gloucestershire past the 100-mark by the 12th over.
Their chemistry was evident as Short’s audacious shots paired with Bancroft’s calm accumulation frustrated Sussex’s bowlers. But just as the duo looked set to take the game away, Henry Crocombe struck. In the 12th over, Short miscued a lofted shot, and Nathan McAndrew pouched it, ending his masterclass. Bancroft battled on, looking good for a fifty, but Crocombe returned in the 17th over to bowl him with a gem, leaving Gloucestershire at 152/3 and needing a spark. That spark came in the form of Ben Charlesworth, who lit up the death overs with an unbeaten 44 off 24 balls.
His knock was pure dynamite, three fours and three sixes that had the crowd roaring. Charlesworth’s ability to clear the ropes and pierce gaps turned a solid total into a daunting one. He took on Sussex’s bowlers with fearless intent, ensuring Gloucestershire didn’t lose momentum. The middle order, though, had its struggles. Captain Jack Taylor had a nightmare, nicking off for a golden duck in the 18th over, caught by Robinson off Crocombe. Oliver Price didn’t fare much better, scratching around for 4 off 4 balls before holing out to Tymal Mills off McAndrew in the 19th over.
Despite these hiccups, Charlesworth, alongside Graeme van Buuren’s unbeaten 2 off 2, powered Gloucestershire to a strong finish. The last three overs brought 33 crucial runs, with Charlesworth’s audacious strokeplay stealing the show. Sussex’s bowlers had a mixed bag. Henry Crocombe was the star, delivering a superb spell of 3 for 32 in his four overs. His wickets of Short, Bancroft, and Taylor came at pivotal moments, keeping Gloucestershire in check. Nathan McAndrew was miserly, giving away just 21 runs in his four overs while snaring Price.
Ollie Robinson chipped in with Hammond’s early wicket but leaked 26 runs in three overs. Tymal Mills and Danny Lamb struggled to contain the batters, going for 36 and 45 runs respectively, while James Coles’ two overs cost 22 without reward. Sussex kept things tight in the field, conceding just six extras (one bye, two leg byes, three wides), but Gloucestershire’s 17 fours and seven sixes pushed the scoring rate to a lively 9.25 per over. The total of 185/5 felt like a mountain, but on a good batting surface, Sussex had a shot.
George Thomas and Daniel Hughes opened the batting, looking to set a positive tone. Thomas started like a man possessed, cracking two fours and a six in a breezy 22 off 17 balls. But in the 5th over, Josh Shaw sent his stumps cartwheeling, silencing the Sussex fans. Tom Clark, at number three, got off the mark with a six but lasted just 7 balls, caught by Miles Hammond off Ajeet Singh Dale in the 6th over. Hughes battled on, scoring a measured 17 off 17 with a six, but Marchant de Lange rattled his stumps in the 9th over. At 57/3, Sussex were in deep trouble, with Gloucestershire’s bowlers turning the screws and the required run rate climbing fast.
Then came the turning point. James Coles and Tom Alsop walked out and stitched together a breathtaking 106-run stand for the fourth wicket. Coles was a revelation, stroking 62 off 40 balls with six fours and a six. His cool-headed aggression, picking gaps with surgical precision, kept Sussex alive. Alsop was equally electric, hammering 55 off 33 balls with two fours and three monstrous sixes that had the crowd ducking for cover. Their partnership was a masterclass with smart running, timely boundaries, and a refusal to let the asking rate spiral out of control and they dragged Sussex back from the brink, putting them within striking distance.
Coles fell in the 18th over, caught by Oliver Price off Ben Charlesworth, and Alsop followed in the 19th, caught by D’Arcy Short off Shaw. But their half-centuries had set the stage for a grandstand finish. The final two overs were pure drama. John Simpson, the wicketkeeper, managed just 2 off 2 balls before a mix-up led to his run-out in the 19th over and with 14 runs needed off the last over, the tension was palpable. Danny Lamb stepped up as the unlikely hero, delivering an unbeaten 16 off 5 balls at a staggering strike rate of 320.00. His three crunching fours turned the game on its head, while Nathan McAndrew’s calm 0 not out at the other end kept things steady.
Lamb’s final boundary on the last ball sparked wild celebrations as Sussex crossed the line at 189/6, finishing with a run rate of 9.45 per over. Gloucestershire’s bowlers gave it their all but couldn’t defend the total. Josh Shaw was the standout, taking 2 for 25 in his four overs, dismissing Thomas and Alsop. Ajeet Singh Dale and Marchant de Lange each grabbed a wicket but were expensive, leaking 52 and 39 runs respectively. Ben Charlesworth got Coles but conceded 33 runs, while David Payne went for 40 without reward. Extras hurt Gloucestershire, with seven runs (five wides, two no-balls) proving costly in the tight finish. Sussex’s 13 fours and six sixes underlined their attacking intent, and their composure under pressure sealed a famous win.
Danny Lamb became a Cheltenham legend in the Vitality Blast on July 17, 2025, with a final-over explosion that turned a desperate chase into a stunner. Sussex needed 16 runs off the last five balls to reach Gloucestershire’s 186, with Josh Shaw’s tight 2/25 making it look impossible. Lamb walked in, heart pounding, and just went for it. His unbeaten 16 off 5 balls, three massive fours blasted at a crazy 320 strike rate, had the crowd losing it.
Every shot was pure guts, smacking the ball through gaps like he owned the place. Gloucestershire’s bowlers had no answer as Lamb’s fearless swings flipped the game in the dying seconds. That final boundary, right off the last ball, sent Sussex fans into a frenzy and sealed a four-wicket win. Lamb’s nerve and big hits under insane pressure made this the TCNI Magic Moment of the Game, a clutch performance that snatched victory from nowhere and left everyone buzzing.
Henry Crocombe was Sussex’s rock with the ball, keeping Gloucestershire’s 185/5 in check during their Vitality Blast innings on July 17, 2025. The young bowler brought his A-game, grabbing 3 wickets for 32 runs in his four overs, bowling tidy at 8 an over. He broke the game open by getting D’Arcy Short (66 off 45) out in the 12th over, caught trying to go big. Then he knocked over Cameron Bancroft (45 off 33) in the 17th and sent Jack Taylor packing for a duck in the 18th, stopping Gloucestershire’s middle order dead.
His eight dot balls and smart changes of pace had the batters tied up, even on a pitch that favoured runs. With Nathan McAndrew’s tight 1/21 backing him up, Crocombe’s big wickets kept Sussex in the fight. He bowled with fire and smarts, stepping up when it mattered most. That kind of grit and skill in a high-scoring game earned Crocombe the TCNI Hero of the Day.