Craig Cachopa and Matt Machan blasted Sussex to a much-needed victory in the NatWest T20 Blast at Hampshire.

The pair put on a superb partnership of 146 – the second highest in Sussex history - to guide the Sharks to a seven-wicket victory.

Cachopa finished unbeaten on a career best 89 while Machan hit 56 not out as Sussex chased down Hampshire’s total of 157-6 with seven balls to spare.

Things looked bleak when Sussex lost three wickets inside the opening three overs but Machan and Cachopa paced the rest of the innings superbly to end a run of three games without a win.

Sussex stay seventh in the south group but are now only a point adrift of fourth placed Glamorgan who they face on Sunday.

Skipper Luke Wright put Hampshire in after winning the toss and it looked a good decision as the hosts were tied down by some accurate bowling.

James Vince made a brisk 41 from 40 balls but the introduction of spin put the brakes on Hampshire’s innings.

Vince was brilliantly stumped by Ben Brown off the bowling of Mike Yardy and then Jimmy Adams was caught behind off Matt Machan for 21.

When Will Beer removed Sean Ervine for just five Hants were 87-4 with eight overs to go.

A partnership of 54 off 42 balls between Adam Wheater and Owais Shah upped the tempo for the hosts.

Shah’s entertaining knock came to an end when he topped edged a catch to a backpedalling Brown for 36 off 26 balls.

Robinson picked up his second wicket in the final over when Wheater smashed a full toss straight to the fielder on the midwicket boundary having scored 26 off 23 balls.

Sussex made the worst possible start in pursuit of 158 for victory as they lost their top three inside three overs.

Wright was superbly caught at backward point by Will Smith for three and Mahela Jayawardene followed five balls later for four.

Brown – promoted to open in the absence of the sick Chris Nash – then chipped Gareth Berg to cover to leave Sussex reeling on 14-3.

Cachopa and Machan began the rebuilding job slowly at first before start to accelerate once they had found their groove.

Sussex were well behind the run-rate on 54-3 after ten overs but plundered 19 runs from the 11th over bowled by Danny Briggs and 13 from the 12th by Will Smith to get them back into contention.

Cachopa brought up his 50 from 37 balls by carving his fourth four over backward point off the bowling of Chris Wood.

The Kiwi hit his third and fourth sixes off Briggs and Yasir Arafat with he and Machan bringing up their 100 partnership from just 72 balls.

Cachopa looked on course for a century at one stage as he dominated the strike but Machan came to the fore as the target approached.

He reached his half century off 44 balls by hitting Arafat for consecutive fours to wrap up a morale-boosting win.