Sussex Sharks upset the odds to get their NatWest T20 Blast campaign up and running with a convincing six-wicket win over Hampshire.

The hosts had won ten of the previous 11 games against Sussex and beat them at Hove last week.

But led by Jofra Archer, who took a T20-best 4-18, Sussex bowled superbly to restrict Hampshire to 126-9 in front of a stunned 6,000 crowd at the Ageas Bowl.

Despite losing their talisman Luke Wright in the first over the Sharks paced their chase to perfection on a pitch which made fluent stroke-play risky.

Ben Brown (42) and Chris Nash (32) made critical contributions before Laurie Evans struck three boundaries to get his side over the line in the 18th over.

Tom Alsop scored 64 but Hampshire, who had won their first three South Group games, never recovered from losing four of their top five – all internationals – with just 30 runs on the board.

The sense that it might be Sussex’s night came very early. Rilee Rossouw and James Vince had laid the foundations for last week’s win with a stand of 109 but Rossouw was superbly held by Archer on the run in the first over and Vince drove to cover in the third to give Archer his first wicket.

Alsop had struck Tymal Mills for successive sixes but the left-armer, making a welcome return after hamstring problems, removed George Bailey in his second over courtesy of another well-judged catch on the run, this time by David Wiese.

When Archer picked up Sean Ervine in the fifth over Hampshire were 30-4 and it was left to Alsop to supervise the rebuilding job.

He put on 48 with Lewis McManus, reaching a 30-ball 50 with successive boundaries off Jordan.

However, Sussex’s five seamers relished a pitch with some seam movement and bounce while Danny Briggs was impressive on his return to the Ageas Bowl, bowling McManus and the dangerous Shahid Afridi in a spell of 2-17, his most economical in T20 since 2013.

Archer returned in the 18th over to have Alsop caught off an ill-judged scoop for 64 from 50 balls with five fours and two sixes and bowl Kyle Abbott for 14.

Sussex’s response began badly when Wright played no shot to a huge inswinger from Reece Topley but Brown and Nash broke the back of the chase with 82 in ten overs.

Brown’s 42 was his most convincing innings since promotion to No.3 while Nash played well until chipping a catch to mid-wicket off Mason Crane.

Ross Taylor (15) was run out from cover by Vince’s direct hit in the 16th over but by then the target was down to 13 and Laurie Evans struck successive boundaries off Topley and the target reached with 16 balls to spare.