Sussex's quarter-final quest is back on course – after a T20 champion eased a few nerves.

Lawrie Evans, brought in for this season largely due to his white-ball prowess, guided Sharks to the NatWest T20 Blast success they needed last night as they got past Gloucestershire at Hove with six wickets and 14 balls to spare.

The margin makes it look a bit more comfortable than it felt for the hosts at one stage of their reply.

But a fine effort with the ball in the first half kept the target manageable.

Evans, a T20 champion in his Warwickshire days, guided them in with 45 not out off 29 balls, crowned by his third six sent towering over square leg .

David Wiese was a positive right-hand man with 20 not out off 16 balls.

It was a good night for Wiese (1-22). He followed his last-ball despair at Lord’s the previous evening, where Sussex lost a thriller, with first-ball success this time.

The Argus:

Chris Nash congratulates Stiaan van Zyl on a brilliant catch. Picture by Stephen Lawrence/Sussex Cricket.

He caught the outside edge to remove dangerman Michael Klinger, playing a defensive shot, via a catch at slip.

It got better for Sussex in the first over when Jofra Archer produced a brilliant four-saving, diving stop just behind square on the leg-side and then got the ball in quickly enough for Ian Cockbain (1) to be run out.

From 2-2, Phil Mustard and Cameron Bancroft did a good job of rebuilding the innings. An enormous six by the former off Archer took them to 50-2 at the end of the powerplay. The pair added 77 off eight overs before Phil Mustard, driving airily outside off stump, edged George Garton to the keeper to complete his 32-ball 43 (six fours, two sixes).

Garton, coming down the slope with pace, clean bowled Bancroft for 37 (24 balls, three fours, one six) in his next over.

His third wicket in a spell of 3-34 owed a huge amount to the skills and awareness of Stiaan van Zyl.

Back pedalling over the square leg boundary, Van Zyl managed to catch and then let go of a pull from Kieran Noema-Barnett (4), regain his balance and his bearings and grab the loose ball before it hit the deck.

The batsman stayed out for a few seconds to query whether it was a clean bit of work. But it was more than clean - it was brilliant Archer, from Benny Howell’s (20) lofted drive, and Luke Wright, off a top-edged sweep by Tom Smith (2), were also secure with their handiwork.

As was Evans at long on when Jack Taylor (8) went big.

Two wickets in three balls for Chris Jordan (3-17), both clean bowled coming down the slope, finished the job seven balls early.

Chris Nash and Wright got Sussex’s reply off to decent start with 22 apiece and 42 for the first wicket before the former top-edged a pull.

Wright, never really at his fluent best, fell to a stunning catch by Klinger running towards the boundary from mid-off as the ball dropped over his shoulder.

And Sussex were in a bit of trouble at 51-3 when Van Zyl (5) edged Chris Liddle (2-27) behind off the final ball of the powerplay.

Ross Taylor (2) played across a full-length delivery from Howell (1-18) and, after a reviving partnership of 32 with Laurie Evans, Sussex lost Ben Brown (17) to a leading edge.

Evans, though, had time to pace an innings and see Sussex in with a bit to spare in the end.