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Sussex eye further glory

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 13/07/2009

Sussex's dominant batting order will have to get past an experienced and talented Hampshire side on July 25 at Lord's if they are to win the Friends Provident Trophy for a second time in four years.

The south coast rivals have both had success in this competition, with Hampshire last winning the cup in 2005, a year before Sussex, when the 50-over tournament was then known as the C&G Trophy.

Both outfits have a team well suited to the shorter format of the game, although with both sitting in a comfortable mid-table position in the County Championship Division One, they cannot claim to have one day cricket solely on their minds.

Will Sussex triumph in the showpiece final? - Latest Cricket Betting

Sussex's batting is likely to prove a crucial factor, as it was in their semi-final victory over Gloucestershire.

On a flat batting track, Sussex pilled on 326 runs from their 50 overs, with the competition's top scorer, Ed Joyce, amassing 146 from 139 balls, helped along by Murray Goodwin's run-a-ball 60.

That type of total - Sussex have scored over 300 on three separate occasions in this tournament this term - gives their limited bowling attack some room to breathe.

Against Gloucestershire it proved more than enough of a cushion as Michael Yardy's left-arm spin picked up four wickets, including centurion Alex Gidman, to bowl the visitors out 34 runs short of the target.

Alongside Yardy's useful contributions Yasir Arafat has been in fine form, picking up 14 wickets at 23.07, while James Kirtley remains a threat in what is undoubtedly a hittable bowling attack.

Contrasting their opponents, Hampshire have been able to turn to a number of sources for wickets, despite the lack of a go-to player in that department.

Dominic Cork and Billy Taylor lead the club with 16 wickets in the tournament, although Dimitri Mascarenhas' 10 wickets in four matches suggest he may prove the difference at Lord's.

The England international's batting is also likely to prove a factor, especially if Michael Lumb - heavily relied upon at the top of the order - fails to get going.

Although Hampshire can also claim three innings of over 300 in the tournament, their semi-final match was more indicative of the year they've had.

Dominant performances from openers Lumb (76) and Jimmy Adams (78) helped them to 271 before their not-that-secret weapon Imran Tahir did the damage to Lancashire, taking three for 38 to seal a 64-run win.

Performances similar to the semi-finals will guarantee an enthralling FTP final but, with depth in all departments and a potential rare appearance from Kevin Pietersen, Hampshire are looking the online betting favourites to go one better than in 2007 and return home with the trophy.

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