LONDON, CMC – West Indies superstar opener Chris Gayle flopped on his return to the English T20 Blast, as Somerset crashed to a 48-run defeat to Sussex here yesterday.
Playing at Hove, Somerset were restricted to 174 all out off 19.4 overs, in pursuit of the hosts’ imposing 222 for three off their 20 overs.
The left-handed Gayle made just five before he was second out in the second over with the score on seven, bowled by left-arm seamer Tymal Mills.
Gayle’s form was patchy throughout the just concluded Indian Premier League where he managed a mere 227 runs from ten games, with just two half-centuries.
Roelof van der Merwe top-scored with 59 from 29 balls with three fours and five sixes while Sri Lankan star Mahela Jayawardene carved out 51 from 34 deliveries.
However, South African seamer David Wiese, who will play for Barbados Tridents later this year in the Caribbean Premier League, finished with four for 38 to hurt Somerset.
Earlier, opener Chris Nash stroked his maiden T20 hundred – an unbeaten 112 from 64 balls – to propel Sussex after they were sent in.
He put on an exhilarating 156 for the first wicket with Luke Wright who struck 83 from 39 balls.
