Yasir Arafat starred with the ball as Sussex beat the weather and Somerset to stay in contention for a place in the knockout stages of the Royal London One-Day Cup.

The Pakistan international took 5-36 as Somerset were restricted to 193-8 from their rain-reduced 33 overs at Taunton.

That was cut to 189 on the Duckworth/Lewis method and Sussex were comfortably able to chase down such an inadequate total with seven wickets and 24 balls to spare.

With the three other games in group B all being abandoned due to the weather the Sharks climbed to fourth place ahead of their trip to leaders Kent on Wednesday.

Sussex got off to a dream start with the ball after winning the toss with Arafat dismissing Marcus Trescothick and Peter Trego in successive balls in his opening over.

That left Somerset reeling on 10-2 when a heavy downpour forced a long delay and the match further reduced from 44 overs a side to 33.

When play was able to resume Nick Compton and Colin Ingram cautiously set about rebuilding the Somerset innings.

They put on 96 in 108 balls and were just starting to accelerate when Compton was trapped lbw by the otherwise expensive Chris Liddle for 42.

Ingram went on to post his highest score for Somerset and was looking in threatening form when he was run out by a good throw from Liddle going for a tight second run.

Somerset lost their way after that with Steffan Piolet bowling Alex Barrow first ball and then Arafat dismissed Lewis Gregory, Tim Groenewald and Craig Meschede in the final over.

Somerset’s total of 193-8 was reduced to a target of 189 by the Duckworth/Lewis method and Luke Wright and Chris Nash set about chasing it down in a hurry.

The pair put on 86 from just 60 balls until Nash – who had been dropped on 23 – was run out by wicketkeeper Alex Barrow having been sent back by Wright.

Wright followed soon afterwards for a 32-ball 42 when he gave a simple return catch to Jack Leach and Somerset had a glimmer of hope when Leach also picked up the wicket of Craig Cachopa.

But Matt Machan and skipper Ed Joyce saw Sussex home with an unbeaten partnership of 94, Machan making 47 not out - having been dropped twice and surviving a missed stumping - and Joyce 46.