The National League again failed to provide Sussex Sharks with any comfort when they were beaten for a second time this summer by Derbyshire in a rain-affected game at Derby.

At Arundel in July it was Chris Bassano who won the game with a century and yesterday Sussex were beaten by a typically wristy innings from the Indian strokemaker Mohammad Kaif.

The game was in the balance until Kaif and Dominic Hewson tilted the odds towards the home side with a stand of 64 in ten overs.

By the time Hewson was bowled trying to cut Mark Davis, leading the team in place of the injured Chris Adams, Scorpions had seized the initiative and Sussex were already heading for a third consecutive National League defeat.

Matthew Prior had earlier revived Sussex when the innings had been in danger of falling away on a slow pitch of variable bounce.

Batting was never easy and Sussex also had to contend with two rain breaks which reduced the contest to 32 overs a side.

Thunder rolled around the County Ground for much of the game and most of the Sussex innings was played out in overcast conditions.

Murray Goodwin went to the first ball after the first resumption when he cut a short ball from Graeme Welch to Dominic Cork at backward point. Michael Yardy fell in the same over when he was lbw but Tony Cottey played some flowing drives and dominated a stand of 45 with Richard Montgomerie.

Cottey hit five fours but when Hewson was brought on, he tried to cut the all-rounder's second ball and was caught behind.

When Robin Martin-Jenkins played across a full length ball from Cork and lost his off stump, Sussex were struggling and two overs later, Montgomerie was lbw to another ball that kept low.

Montgomerie had faced only 39 balls in 18 overs and at 71-5, Sussex were in danger of falling well short of a competitive total. But Prior worked the ball into the gaps and established a platform for a late charge which brought 24 from the last two overs.

Prior hit Graeme Welch for three fours to reach his half century and his partnership with Davis added 56 runs in eight overs.

Although Sussex had scored 160, the target was adjusted to 163 under Duckworth-Lewis and that looked steep when the county's former overseas batsman Michael Di Venuto was beaten by a ball which stayed low from Billy Taylor.

Martin-Jenkins made sure Bassano would not profit against them for a second time when he had him lbw but Kaif was soon placing the ball well.

Steve Selwood was beginning to open up when a direct hit from Mushtaq Ahmed at square leg ran him out but the game then moved away from Sussex.

Derbyshire needed 67 from the last ten overs and they became favourites when 15 came from the next over from Davis.

Hewson had scored 39 from 29 balls when he was bowled. However, Kaif made sure there were no late wobbles and although he was dropped by Yardy at mid on in the penultimate over, by then Derbyshire were only six runs from victory.

Kaif hit the winning runs to give Derbyshire their first National League victory at home since May and leave Sussex rooted to the bottom.