Sussex’s white-ball misery at Hove continued today – after they had seemed set for a first home Twenty20 win of the season.

They went down to Somerset by three wickets with three balls to spare after setting 169-5.

Sussex looked on course to add to their four away successes when Chris Jordan held a super catch on the boundary to remove Corey Anderson off Rashid Khan with 36 still needed from 21 balls.

But Roelof van der Merwe saw the visitors home with an unbeaten 34 from 19 deliveries.

With five needed off the last five balls, he drove at Chris Jordan, edged and keeper Michael Burgess got a touch to to the chance but could not hold it as the ball went through for four.

A wayward 18th over, delivered by David Wiese, which went for 16 left Sussex with too much to do at the death.

Sussex’s total, having been put in, was based on a career-best T20 innings of 96 off 67 balls from Laurie Evans.

Evans hit ten fours and two sixes but was caught on the deep square-leg boundary going for the third maximum which would have seen him to three figures off the penultimate ball of the innings.

Partners came and went on too regular a basis with Tom Bruce the second top-scorer on 21, his best effort yet for the county.

Rashid Khan took 3-19 for Sussex in the Somerset reply.