Cheteshwar Pujara smashed his second century in four matches to help Sussex chased down the target of 319 against Somerset in Taunton on August 11. Pujara's 117-run knock helped Sussex chased down the total with four wickets in hand and 11 balls to spare.
Somerset skipper Sean Dickson won the toss and opted to bat first. George Thomas and George Bartlett fell to FJ Hudson-Prentice early in the innings. Wicketkeeper-batter James Rew got off to a good start but lost his wicket for a score of 22.
Scottish batter Andrew Umeed and Ireland's Curtis Campher shared a 163-run partnership for the third wicket. Umeed scored 119 runs from 130 balls including 10 fours and three sixes. Hudson-Prentice got back into the attack and broke the partnership in the 43rd over.
Campher took a more attacking approach and got support from Dickson (23-ball 40). Campher reached his century and then got out to Jack Carson in the 46th over. Campher's 82-ball 101 was laced with nine fours and three sixes. Joshua F Thomas' unbeaten 10-ball 21 helped Somerset post 318/6.
In the big run chase, Sussex openers Tom Clark and Tom Haines fell early. Tom Alsop scored quickly. Pujara and Alsop shared a 92-run partnership for the third wicket. Thomas broke the partnership in the 23rd over. Alsop hit seven fours in his 58-ball 60.
Pujara tried to string a partnership with James Coles (210 and Hudson-Prentice (13) but both fell to Joshua F Thomas in the middle overs. Oliver Carter scored quickly while Pujara continued to anchor the run chase. Carter scored 44 runs from 34 balls before getting run out. He smashed four fours and two sixes during his stay at the crease.
After the sixth wicket fell, 45 runs were needed off the last six overs. Carson came out all guns blazing. In the 48th over, Pujara hit three consecutive fours off Danny Lamb. He did not take the game till the end and finished it off in the penultimate over. Pujara hit 11 fours in his unbeaten 117-run knock and mostly depended on the rotation of strike to keep the scoreboard moving.
Pujara has been in sensational form in England's One-Day domestic tournament. The 35-year-old has scored 302 runs from four innings at an average of 156.
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