Moeen's one-day best not enough in County defeat (From Worcester News)

Moeen's one-day best not enough in County defeat

7:50pm Sunday 14th August 2011 in Match Reports

MOEEN Ali’s career one-day best was not enough to prevent a brave Worcestershire Royals sliding to a 80-run defeat to Sussex Sharks in the Clydesdale Bank 40.

The 24-year-old bludgeoned his way to 158 off just 92 balls, hitting 20 fours and seven sixes and beating his 136 scored against Sri Lanka early this summer, but it was the hosts’ 399-4 that proved too much, even for Moeen’s fine innings, on a run-filled day.

Records were ticked off one-by-one at Horsham with Sharks' openers Ed Joyce and Joe Gatting firing their way to the highest ever wicket stand of 210 for Sussex with both hitting centuries.

The Royals’ response made it the biggest scoring match in 40-over history with a combined total of 719 runs.

The hosts’ total was the highest in 40-over cricket, surpassing Surrey’s 384-9 against Glamorgan last year.It was also Joyce’s third one-day century in successive matches against Worcestershire.

The Ireland international was first to reach his century, off 66 balls before falling for a 74-ball 120 which included 10 fours and five sixes.

Gatting’s hundred came off 86 balls before he perished to Gareth Andrew for a 94-ball 122, hitting 14 fours and four sixes.

The Sharks went on to hit their highest score in one-day cricket with former New Road batsman Lou Vincent chipping in with a 43-ball 71.

The reply for the County could not have got off to a worse start as Naveed Arif struck with the second ball to send Vikram Solanki’s stumps flying without scoring.

Even promoting the big-hitting Andrew up the order to number three did not have the desired effect as Worcestershire looked to make an attempt to keep up with the 10-an-over rate required.

Andrew, despite showing some of his trademark blows, was bowled by Naveed for 27 to leave Worcestershire 70-2 in the ninth over.

Despite a valiant attempt to keep up with the rate, Moeen’s 150 came off just 88 balls before being stumped by Ben Brown off the bowling of Michael Yardy, the Royals’ task was just too big as the Sharks closed out victory.