Skipper Chris Adams will be missing as Sussex try to end their one-day woes under the Hove floodlights tonight (4.10pm).

Adams, who made an undefeated 95 in Sunday's defeat by Scotland, is ruled out of the game with Hampshire Hawks by tennis elbow which has been troubling him for over a fortnight.

With Tim Ambrose (knee), Kevin Innes (pelvis), Jason Lewry (ribs), Mushtaq Ahmed (back) and Shaun Rashid (foot) also out, Sussex are effectively picking from 12 players.

Bas Zuiderent is the only pro in the second team who start a three-day match at Cheltenham today while Andrew Hodd will be 12th man after returning from Headingley where he has just played for England under-19s against South Africa.

The Scotland loss, Sussex's sixth in nine games, sent them back to the bottom of Division Two but a win tonight against a Hampshire side who are in the promotion race would lift them two places up the table.

Adams' absence means an opportunity for Michael Yardy in the middle order while Matt Prior will take the skipper's place at No. 4.

Director of cricket Peter Moores acknowledges that Sussex's tilt at their first Championship is having an adverse effect on their one-day form but he admitted that Sunday's defeat against Scotland's part-timers was particularly hard to take.

"We batted brilliantly to make 270 and that should normally be a winning score at Hove but we didn't seem to bowl to a plan," he said.

"We didn't mix up our pace enough and the fielding was disappointing, we took our foot off the gas and I got the impression we thought we had already won the game.

"In four games this season we've either failed to chase 150 or been unable to defend 230 and now 270. If we had won those four matches we would be up there in with a chance of promotion.

"When we lost to Warwickshire in the Championship we said it could turn out to be the best thing that could have happened and it has been. Since then we've been committed in every minute of our Championship cricket.

"Scotland might turn out to be the watershed for us in one-day cricket. We can't get promoted now but we have to give it our full and undivided attention to at least get it right for next season.

"We know the players are good enough, but they have to find ways of approaching one-day cricket in the right way mentally. There can be no excuses really."

Sri Lankan fast bowler Chaminda Vaas plays his second game for Hampshire after replacing Wasim Akram as their second overseas player.

Sussex: Goodwin, Hopkinson, Cottey, Prior, Martin-Jenkins, Montgomerie, Yardy, Davis, Kirtley, Hutchison, Taylor.

Hampshire (probable): Hamblin, Katich, Kenway, Crawley, Francis, Vaas, Mascarenhas, Prittipaul, Udal, Tremlett, Mullally.