Sanath Jayasuriya was the star performer as favourites Colombo won the third Zone6 City Challenge final under the Hove lights last night.

About 1,000 fans who turned out to witness an innovative brand of fast-paced cricket were not disappointed as the Sri Lankan opener produced a wonderful display of power hitting.

He scored 98 glittering runs in Colombo's 65-run win over Birmingham, then denied Brighton and Hove a place in the final with a classy 62.

His hopes of another power show in the final were dashed early on when he was run out for 14 after being sent back by skipper Aravinda de Silva.

De Silva went on to fire 36 while Kumar Sangakarra hit 46 off just 14 balls in Colombo's 187-3.

Sangakarra was bowled by Sussex paceman Billy Taylor.

London suffered an early blow when Alistair Brown fell for a duck second ball to a catch at mid on off Jayasuriya.

Owais Shah made 31 off 12 balls before falling to Muttiah Muralitharan.

London need 48 from their final four overs and were unable to force victory as Muralitharan (7-67 for the day) got going to remove Matthew Walker (31, Jonathan Batty (11) and skipper Adam Hollioake (4). 146-5 The tournament saw eight-man teams start each innings with 100 runs, six of which were deducted for each wicket lost.

There were six scoring zones around the boundary and if the ball was struck through a zone on the full 12 runs were awarded. If a batsman hit the ball through the zone along the ground eight runs were given.

The tournament, which featured all-star teams representing six cities from around the world, was worth £12,000 to the winners.

The two top teams from each group contested the final and London were the first to book their place by beating Cape Town by 22 runs.

The result was especially pleasing for Sussex pace bowler Billy Taylor, who pegged back Cape Town by taking 2-18.

Cape Town, chasing 200 to win, required 38 off their final two overs and Taylor conceded only six off the penultimate one.

Jayasuriya treated the crowd of around 1,000 to another thrilling exhibition of stroke play as Colombo posted 179-4 against Brighton and Hove.

The left handed batsman, rated in the world top six, accumulated his 62 off just 24 balls before falling in the last over of the innings to Mushtaq Ahmed.

Jayasuriya skied a catch to backward square leg to give Mushtaq his third victim.

The little leg spinner had earlier dismissed Kumar Sangakarra and Chandika Hathurusingha in successive balls.

Bas Zuiderent and Matt Prior gave Brighton and Hove an ideal platform with an opening stand of 51 before Jayasuriya had Prior stumped for 28 off 14 balls.

Ian Blackwell was trapped leg before by Muttiah Muralitharan with the hosts needing 17 from the final seven balls.

Skipper Murray Goodwin survived an lbw appeal first ball before spinner Hathurusingha ended Brighton's hopes of reaching the final in the last over.

After four were scored from the first three balls, Hathrusingha bowled Zuiderent for 39 and Prior returned to score five from the last two balls as his side went down by 13 runs.

Brighton coasted to a comfortable 38-run victory in their first group game against Birmingham.

Somerset's Ian Blackwell struck 48 not out and Zuiderent made 36 as the hosts, set 163 to win, went on to bag a maximum eight points by making 200-1 in their eight overs.

Leicestershire's Charlie Dagnall was thrashed for 25 in one over with Blackwell blasting a zone hit for eight as well as heaving a huge six over mid-wicket.

Birmingham, who were put in, contributed to their own downfall by having 18 runs subtracted in one over owing to them losing three wickets.

Paul Nixon (41) holed out off Mushtaq Ahmed and Graham Wagg ran out skipper Dougie Brown (22) before being stumped for a duck.

Jayasuriya hit an explosive 98 in Colombo's convincing 65-run win over Birmingham. He smashed five eights and also had six conventional sixes in his 28-ball frolic.

After holing out at mid on off Waqar Younis on 93, Jayasuriya resumed his innings after the dismissals of Kumar Sangakarra and Jeevantha Kulatunga as his side posted 126 genuine runs for a match-winning total of 226-4.

Birmingham, eliminated from the competition early on along with holders Leeds, replied with 161-5 with Muttiah Muralitharan taking 2-15.