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The Australian’s hopes of a maiden Blast hundred were dashed by neat work from Adam Rossington to stump him off leg-spinner Matt Critchley, but Clark and Tom Alsop kept up the pace as they lifted Sussex above 200.
Clark completed his first T20 half-century, reaching 72 not out from 53 to set Essex a target of 208 – a figure that looked even more daunting when they lost four wickets inside the powerplay overs.
Three of those, including two in as many deliveries, fell to seamer Ollie Robinson (3-27) while skipper Tymal Mills picked up the wicket of Dean Elgar to leave the Eagles in some difficulty.
Critchley began the rebuilding work with Pepper, whose pugnacious approach ensured Essex did not fall too far behind the required rate and 19-year-old Allison proved a more than capable foil.
Pepper completed his second ton of the campaign from 46 balls, striking nine sixes and nine fours – the last two of them coming from successive Danny Lamb deliveries to round off the job.
In scoring 120 not out, Pepper, who also hit a century against Middlesex in June, now has the highest score of this year’s T20 Blast competition and is also its highest run-scorer with a combined total of 488 from 11 innings.
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