Nash guides Sharks to victory

Chris Nash goes aerial en route to 56 not out which saw Sussex home at Hove

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Opener Chris Nash hit a Twenty20 best 56 not out as Sussex Sharks revived their bid for a quarter-final place with an easy eight-wicket win over Hampshire Hawks at Hove tonight.

Sussex bowled and fielded superbly to restrict Hawks to 122 for seven after Nic Pothas had won the toss in the Twenty20 Cup encounter.

Nash led his side home with the second Twenty20 half-century of his career while West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Smith contributed an unbeaten 31 to a stand of 73 in seven overs as Sussex secured their second South Group win with 17 balls to spare.

The result leaves Hampshire with one victory from three so far.

Man of the match Nash sealed victory by hoisting Billy Taylor into the pavilion for Sussex's only six and although a slow pitch inhibited the stroke-makers on both sides there were few complaints from a sell-out crowd of 7,000 about a lack of entertainment.

Hampshire had needed early wickets to give themselves any chance and Hamza Riazuddin obliged in the second over when Joe Gatting played on for five.

But Luke Wright, in his last appearances before joining up with England's World Twenty20 squad, and Nash took the game away from Hampshire in a stand of 45 in seven overs with Wright, who was dropped by Riazuddin on 23, hitting three fours in his 28 off 24 balls before he was taken low down at point by Michael Carberry off leg-spinner Imran Tahir.

That was as good as it got for Hampshire as Nash and Smith punished anything loose and ran superbly between the wickets to put pressure on the fielders.

Nash hit six fours from 47 balls faced while Smith, a star of Deccan Chargers' recent success in the Indian Premier League, scored his runs off 29 deliveries with three boundaries.

In contrast, Hampshire scored just six fours and two sixes in their innings which was never allowed to get any momentum by accurate bowling.

Yasir Arafat and James Kirtley both struck in their opening spells while Smith ran out Sean Ervine with a spectacular direct hit from backward point.

Hampshire were then tied down in mid-innings by slow left-armer Mike Yardy.

The Sharks' captain took 1-22 from his four overs and then made an inspired bowling change by bringing on Smith in the 16th over.

He trapped Liam Dawson playing across the line with his first ball to end a stand of 43 with Carberry and then had Carberry caught at mid-off three deliveries later for 36.

Hampshire's last hope of posting a competitive total ended when Dimitri Mascarenhas, who also links up with England this weekend, holed out to long off to give Kirtley, who finished with 2-22, his second success.