Alex Hales smashed his fifth List A century as Nottinghamshire set Sussex 313 to win in their opening Royal London One Day Cup match at Horsham.

Hales followed up his hundred in the Championship against Sussex at Hove earlier in the season by getting Notts off to an ideal start at Cricketfield Road.

The England batsman put on 139 with Michael Lumb for the opening wicket before Sussex fought back well with the ball to restrict the Outlaws to 312-8.

Steffan Piolet was the pick of the Sussex bowlers as he dismissed Hales for 116 on his way to figures of 2-35 while Will Beer claimed 3-60 from his ten overs. Chris Liddle was particularly expensive as he posted figures of 0-86.

Lumb and Hales made a solid start after Sussex skipper Ed Joyce had won the toss and put the visitors in.

Lumb reached his half century first – from 58 balls – before he was bowled for 77 by Will Beer as he came down the track to the leg-spinner.

Hales went on the offensive after he completed his 50 – from 73 deliveries - by smashing Beer for two big sixes but Notts’ hopes of building on their good start began to unravel.

James Taylor was bowled for 13 by Beer, Samit Patel was caught in the deep by Matt Machan off the bowling of Piolet for eight and Riki Wessels was run out by a direct hit from Beer for a duck.

Hales brought up his century by cutting Piolet for his eighth four of the match, with his second 50 only taking 34 balls.

He fell soon afterwards when he holed out to Lewis Hatchett at long on to give Piolet his second wicket.

Beer then had James Franklin caught and bowled as Notts went from 187-1 to 235-6 in the space of 49 balls.

Steven Mullaney blasted 40 from just 20 balls to give the Outlaws’ innings renewed impetus near the end before he became one of Lewis Hatchett’s two victims near the end.

Sussex's hopes of chasing down that total will not be helped by the absence of Luke Wright who is sidelined with a side injury sustained while making his record-breaking 155 at Essex on Friday.