Delhi Capitals (DC) opener Tim Seifert played only two matches this season, scoring 19 runs before being hit by Covid-19 and then missing out on the rest of the season for the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) finalists. The wicketkeeper-batter from New Zealand is currently playing for Sussex in the Vitality T20 Blast.
Playing against Hampshire, Seifert's unbeaten 55-ball century did not help his team to a victory but surely boosted his confidence. Chasing a total of 199 runs, the opener carried his bat for Sussex. He hit a sublime 100 not out and put on a 69-run partnership with Delray Rawlins in an otherwise slack Sharks chase as they never controlled the required rate.
Hampshire, who have been underwhelming this season, began their batting innings from the get-go, with openers James Vince and Ben McDermott, who smashed 65 and 60 respectively, putting on 124 together to break their team's best T20 opening stand to set up a mammoth total of 199 and losing just six wickets.
Skipper Vince moved up the batting order from 3 to open the batting. He scored his first half-century of the season off his 33rd delivery before McDermott followed him four balls quicker.
Chasing such a big target, Hampshire never got off, except for Tim Seifert. Only Rawlins and Seifert touched double digits, with Sussex managing only 177 runs in their 20 overs.
Seifert's innings was struck at a rate of 178.57 and included nine fours and five sixes for his side. The 27-year-old is also a regular with the national team, having played 40 matches for the Kiwis. He has a formidable strike rate of 129.82 and averages 23.53 per game at the international stage. His best for the Kiwis is an unbeaten 84 against Pakistan in December 2020.
