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T20 Blast: Martin Guptill, Alex Carey & Babar Azam all make runs on Sunday


Sussex’s Alex Carey struck four sixes and seven fours in his 78 against Somerset

New Zealand opener Martin Guptill smashed 10 sixes as his unbeaten 86 guided Worcestershire to a nine-wicket win over Durham in the T20 Blast.

Short of form throughout the World Cup, Guptill looked back to his destructive best in his 31-ball knock at New Road.

Australia’s Alex Carey made 78 on his Sussex debut to help them beat Somerset by 13 runs – 24 hours after flying to and from Geneva just so he could play.

Carey had to leave and re-enter the UK to comply with visa regulations.

The 27-year-old wicketkeeper has been in the country playing for Australia throughout the summer – including during the World Cup – but could not feature domestically under the terms of his visa.

“There’s been some to-ing and fro-ing just to get it sorted,” Carey told BBC Sussex. “I had to leave the country yesterday and come back in.

“I always knew it was going to happen, it was just a matter of timing. Apparently it’s the busiest weekend of the summer so it was a bit of fun for Sussex to sort the flight out for me.”

Elsewhere on Sunday, the matches at Northamptonshire and Derbyshire were both washed out.

Lancashire, who were due to play the Falcons, remain top of the North Group after their second rained-off match in five fixtures.

Yorkshire, beaten by their Roses rivals at Headingley last Thursday, were scheduled to play the Steelbacks.

Guptill & Wessels tee off for the Rapids

Durham took just 11.1 overs to chase down 159 against Leicestershire on Friday – only two days later, however, they were to find themselves on the receiving end of some similarly brutal treatment.

Alex Lees’ 44 helped the visitors post a competitive-looking 181-8, but Worcestershire’s opening pair Guptill and Riki Wessels were halfway towards their target before they had even reached the end of the powerplay.

Wessels struck five sixes and eight fours, while Guptill put his recent lack of form behind him to continuously plant the Durham bowlers into the stands.

Worcestershire, the current T20 Blast holders, are now second in the North Group, three points behind leaders Lancashire.

More runs for Babar in a losing cause

Babar Azam followed his unbeaten 95 against Hampshire on Friday with 83 against Sussex two days later

From Viv Richards to Chris Gayle, Somerset have a fine tradition of signing star names from overseas – and the recruitment of Babar Azam has been no different.

The 24-year-old, who scored 474 runs for Pakistan in the World Cup, has been showing why he is the world number one ranked batsman in T20 cricket since arriving at Taunton.

After hitting 95 not out in Somerset’s defeat by Hampshire on Friday, he was again in the runs against Sussex with a fluent 83.

He held the innings together against a Sharks side missing England paceman Jofra Archer after his call-up for the Ashes, before eventually falling to Rashid Khan to hand the ascendency back to the visitors.



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