Skipper Luke Wright admitted he was in a state of shock after Sussex threw away the chance to revive their NatWest T20 Blast prospects.

The Sharks appeared to be cruising to victory against Hampshire at Hove when they needed just five from the final over and Ross Taylor in full flow.

But Brad Wheal held his nerve to concede just three singles from the last six balls as Sussex finished on 133-8 in reply to Hampshire’s 134-9.

Wright said: “I suppose I am in a bit of shock. It’s a tough one to take as for the majority of the game we had done everything we could.

“I thought it was our best fielding performance of the season and we probably kept them 20 to 30 under par.

“Even at the halfway stage of our innings I absolutely delighted but Twenty20 is a tough game and a few tight overs or a couple of wickets and things can change quickly.

“We had it in the bag and have given it away. It is not easy to win games in this group so when you give people a win it makes it hard to take.

“There are a lot of disappointed players in that changing room but we have to dust ourselves off and go again.”

What should have been a straightforward run chase ended in drama as well as controversy as Sussex were not given a wide down the leg side off the penultimate ball.

Earlier in the innings the umpire had given four byes to another delivery that went down the leg side but Wright opted to choose his words carefully.

He added: “I was surprised it wasn’t given. It is not often the ball goes down leg and you don’t get given it.

“I have to be very careful what I say or I could get done for it but normally anytime in white ball cricket when the ball is down the leg side it is given.

“It doesn’t matter if it just misses (the stumps) but should have won it without needing them. Being in the last over it becomes issues but we should have won it probably with two overs to spare.”

The result means Sussex are now seventh in the south group with three games remaining and Wright admits there is no room for error anymore.

He said: “I think we need to win three out of three. The next two matches are key and if we win them it give us a chance going into the last game but if we lose one it’s probably curtains.”