Sussex are back in the hunt for a place in the knockout stages of the Benson and Hedges Cup after a crushing victory over Kent yesterday.

This Canterbury tale was one of utter Sussex domination. On a true but slowish pitch three of their batsmen scored half-centuries with gold award winner Murray Goodwin's 83 not out off 62 balls the highlight in an imposing total of 282-3 from 50 overs.

Kent were never really in the contest from the moment they lost both openers in the first seven balls.

Robin Martin-Jenkins produced a high-quality bowling display to claim career-best one-day figures of 4-22 as the hosts were reduced to 65-5 and there was no way back for Kent from there.

David Fulton, batting at No. 7, made 37 off 42 balls before James Kirtley returned to blow away the Kent tail with 4-34. The winning margin was 126 runs which will give Sussex's run rate a hefty boost.

Hampshire's one-run victory over Surrey leaves the south group wide open.

Five of the counties have won one game apiece but Surrey, 4-1 favourites to retain the trophy, have lost both matches so far.

Mark Butcher brings the star-studded brown hats to Hove for the final game on Bank Holiday Monday and if the prospect of watching a potentially crucial tie doesn't bring in a few punters then cut-price admission of just £2 should help persuade them.

Sussex are 33-1 with some bookies to reach their first B&H final in the 31st and final year of the competition. A few more performances like this and those odds will start to tumble.

Richard Montgomerie and Tim Ambrose laid the foundations yesterday with a first wicket stand of 137 in 31 overs and Goodwin batted superbly to make sure their good work was not squandered as it had been in similar circumstances in the defeat by Essex on Sunday.

The Zimbabwean hit 83 off just 62 balls, but if that statistic gives the impression that he had to play some risky shots then it was emphatically not the case.

Four times Goodwin cleared the ropes next to the famous lime tree, twice off James Golding and twice off Kent captain Matthew Fleming, with effortless pulls when the bowler made the mistake of dropping short on a pitch lacking any real venom.

There were five boundaries as well and some high-quality cuts and deflections off the back foot.

Adams scored his 41 off a respectable 51 balls, but he was quite content to let Goodwin take the lead in a partnership of 128 in 18 overs which only ended in the last over when Adams was bowled slogging Fleming across the line.

Kent bowled poorly. Their seamers were guilty of pitching too short too often and Montgomerie and Ambrose were hardly troubled as they scored at five an over until Fleming and Andrew Symonds slowed the rate with intelligent variations in pace.

Montgomerie's 71 came off 86 balls, nine of which he hit for four, while Ambrose looked equally assured as he marked only his sixth one-day appearance for the county with his second half-century.

He made 64 from 100 deliveries with six boundaries before the pair fell in successive overs and left the stage to Goodwin and Adams.

Kent's top order are all in good early season form so it was important Sussex used the new ball well. Adams need not have worried on that score.

Kirtley produced an absolute peach to remove Rob Key in his first over, the ball pitching on middle and nipping back to knock the off stump clean out of the ground.

When Paul Nixon fenced the next delivery from Martin-Jenkins to second slip Kent were in the mire at 2-2.

Martin-Jenkins turned the screw with wickets in successive overs. Michael Yardy intercepted James Hockley's leg side pick-up with a good catch to his left at deep mid-wicket while burly Australian dangerman Symonds, the one player who could have turned the game Kent's way, was unhinged by a ball which straightened off the seam.

Kent were 65-5 when Ed Smith had his middle stump knocked over trying to slog Martin-Jenkins over mid-wicket in his last over and the game was as good as won.

Fulton and Matthew Walker gave the innings a modicum of respectability with a sixth wicket stand of 55 in ten overs. It was enough to convince Adams to bring Kirtley back for a blast and proved to be an inspired move.

Adams himself took an outstanding one-handed catch diving to his left at mid-wicket to intercept a full-blooded drive from Walker while Fulton, whose runs were scored off 42 balls, was run out by Martin-Jenkins' direct hit when he was sent back by Fleming looking for a single to short fine leg.

Two booming inswingers by Kirtley accounted for Golding and Martin Saggers in successive overs and it was left to Fleming and last man David Masters to try and bat for as long as possible to try in an effort to improve Kent's impoverished run rate.

They hung around for a further five overs before Masters pulled Yardy to mid-wicket with nine overs unused and Sussex's first B&H win at Canterbury since 1989 was in the bag.