T20 Blast: Gloucestershire end Sussex's hopes of qualification

Michael Burgess hit six fours and three sixes as he registered the second half-century of his T20 career

Sussex Sharks had their hopes of reaching the T20 Blast quarter-finals ended as they suffered a five-wicket defeat at home against Gloucestershire.

Sussex began the day sixth in the South Group and needed to win - while boosting their net run-rate in the process - before having other results go their way in Sunday's final round of fixtures.

After winning the toss and deciding to bat, an unbeaten 64 off 37 balls from Michael Burgess and Harrison Ward's innings of 54 helped the hosts recover from 52-4 to post 160-9 from their 20 overs.

However, Gloucestershire were always ahead of the required rate, with Grant Roelofsen hitting 30 off 14 and Ben Charlesworth's 34 setting the platform in the visitors' reply at Hove.

Captain Graeme van Buuren, who had earlier taken 2-13, added 22, with useful contributions from Jack Taylor and James Bracey seeing Gloucs to the brink of victory.

In the end the winning runs came from extras, with Nathan McAndrew bowling four wides as the target was achieved with 3.1 overs to spare.

It means Surrey, Hampshire Hawks, Kent Spitfires and Essex will fight it out to join Somerset in the last eight.

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A run of four wins in five games had kept Sussex as outside contenders for a place in the knockout stages, but the Sharks suffered early setbacks on a sluggish pitch as they sought a big total to defend.

Tom Clark and Oli Carter departed cheaply in the first three overs, and Ajeet Singh Dale (2-36) removed Ravi Bopara for 12 a day after the all-rounder had made 108 in the victory over Kent Spitfires.

After Shadab Khan went for three, caught and bowled by Tom Smith (2-35), the Sharks had Burgess and Ward to thank for career-best scores as they put on 64 runs for the fifth wicket and helped drag the hosts towards a more respectable total.

Yet Ward departed soon after registering his second T20 half-century, caught at long on by Miles Hammond while looking to attack the spin of Smith, and Sussex then lost four wickets for just 10 runs with Van Buuren's spell proving critical.

Burgess - who had earlier been dropped on 20 by Roelofsen - managed to take 18 runs from the final over from Josh Shaw, ending with consecutive sixes, but the Sharks' score appeared short.

Gloucestershire got off to a strong start despite Hammond falling for 14 at the end of the second over, and two wickets in three balls from Nathan McAndrew in the fifth over gave Sussex hope.

First Roelofsen lofted the ball straight to Brad Currie at mid-off and two deliveries later Ben Wells was out lbw for a duck to leave the visitors 47-3.

Bopara was injured towards the end of his first over before Fynn Hudson-Prentice bowled Charlesworth to keep Sussex in the contest, but the middle-order batters kept the visitors in control.

When Van Buuren fell to a Shadab googly, Gloucestershire were 125-5, yet Bracey (23 off 20) and Taylor (26 off 10) chased down the runs required with the minimum of fuss.

Gloucestershire end their campaign with a trip to Hampshire, and could yet finish above Sussex in the group standings if they register a sixth victory at the Ageas Bowl.

Sunday's final group fixtures (14:30 BST start unless stated)

• Derbyshire Falcons v Worcestershire Rapids

• Lancashire Lightning v Northamptonshire Steelbacks

• Notts Outlaws v Leicestershire Foxes

• Birmingham Bears v Durham

• Glamorgan v Middlesex

• Hampshire Hawks v Gloucestershire

• Surrey v Essex

• Somerset v Kent Spitfires (18:30 BST)

Quarter-finals are scheduled for Thursday 6 and Friday, 7 July