Sussex are winning matches again after a stirring fightback by their bowlers earned them a precious totesport League win over Somerset at Hove.

The Sabres seemed to be cantering to victory when skipper Michael Burns and Jamie Cox were putting on 140 in 26 overs for the second wicket in pursuit of Sussex's 230-7.

But, in a breathless finish, Robin Martin-Jenkins and Luke Wright each took two wickets and then James Kirtley bowled a superb last over which began with Somerset needing eight to win.

He conceded just a single off the first ball to Rob Turner and then Andy Caddick comically swung and missed at each of the next five deliveries and Sussex had secured a six-run win.

Kirtley had given his side a glimmer of hope when he bowled Burns via an inside edge in the 30th over after the Somerset skipper had made 62 off 93 balls with seven fours.

Martin-Jenkins replaced him four overs later and immediately had James Hildreth caught behind but even when Cox sliced Mark Davis to gully after making 71 off 88 balls with four boundaries and a six, a Somerset side who bat long were still favourites with 55 needed off the last ten overs.

Perhaps the turning point was the dismissal of the dangerous Ian Blackwell, who feathered an edge to Tim Ambrose for a second ball duck to give Martin-Jenkins his second wicket.

Now Sussex had given themselves a chance.

They were firm favourites when Wright claimed his first wicket in the competition for his new county, Keith Dutch slicing a big top-edge in the 40th over to wide mid off.

Somerset had lost five wickets for 45 runs in 10.1 overs and a game they seemed to be winning comfortably was slipping from their grasp.

Keith Parsons pinged Wright into a hospitality marquee for the first boundary in ten overs, but after taking seven off the first four balls of Wright's last over he lost his off stump aiming another huge mow somewhere in the direction of the Palace Pier.

Nine runs came off the penultimate over, but Kirtley held his nerve and an increasingly animated crowd could go home happy.

While Martin-Jenkins and Wright shared most of the wickets, Mohammad Akram was the pick of the Sussex bowlers.

The Pakistani produced a superb seven-over spell with the new ball which cost just 15 runs.

Adams had to bring him back into the attack earlier than he had planned but he kept Somerset's run chase in check by conceding just five from his final two overs.

"Mohammad was brilliant," said Adams.

"We've struggled a little to hit teams hard with the new ball and it may be something we have to look at, but Akkie did a great job again.

"It will give him confidence ahead of Old Trafford, where I think he will bowl well.

"There should be a bit more pace and carry and on those sort of pitches he is a handful."

There were also positives much earlier in the day for Sussex too as Murray Goodwin made a welcome return to form with the bat.

The Zimbabwean scored 81, comfortably his highest score of the season in his 16th innings, and, after a cautious start, particularly against Caddick, his confidence seemed to return.

A trademark cut off Dutch's off-breaks followed by a meaty blow through mid off brought a slumbering crowd to life and in the next over he pulled medium-pacer Simon Francis with minimum effort over the fence at deep backward-square.

Goodwin and Ian Ward, restored to the side after missing Monday's defeat at Trent Bridge because of a bruised hand, had some repair work to do after Matt Prior guided the flame-haired Mike Parsons straight into the hands of second slip in the second over.

Timing shots on a slow pitch was not always easy but Ward and Goodwin had added 93 in 20 overs for the second wicket when Ward, who had hit five fours in his 47, was well caught by Turner standing up as he tried to cut Keith Parsons.

Parsons was one of seven bowlers employed by Somerset but they struggled to contain Goodwin and Adams, who put on 68 in 14 overs.

Adams had just started to accelerate when he was leg before to Parsons.

Significantly, perhaps, there was no appeal from Turner and the way Adams reluctantly dragged himself away from the crease suggested he thought the ball was going down the leg side.

Goodwin then chipped a catch to mid-wicket off Burns after hitting six fours and a six from 102 balls.

Now he must hope that he has turned the corner after the worst run in his four years at Hove.

Ambrose lofted Burns into a garden behind the main scoreboard and Michael Yardy's driven four through extra cover off the same bowler was shot of the day.

Both departed in a remarkable final over from Caddick, which brought him three wickets.

Yardy was caught at backward point, Martin-Jenkins fell leg before to his second ball and Ambrose shovelled a full toss straight to deep mid-wicket.

Davis, though, slogged 15 off the last over from Burns including a six over mid-wicket, a crucial contribution as it turned out.