Sussex Sharks found their T20 teeth last night – and their last-eight hopes are very much alive as a result.

They go to Kent tonight invigorated by an eight-wicket thrashing of Surrey on the night their hitherto damp squib of a NatWest T20 Blast season exploded into glorious life.

Openers Chris Nash and Stiaan van Zyl built on an excellent bowling and fielding display to make short work of a target of 149.

Van Zyl hit eight fours and two sixes in his 21-ball 52 as they knocked off the first 120 inside nine overs.

Nash went on to make 64 (36 balls, nine fours, three sixes), leaving Ross Taylor and Ben Brown to see it through with 39 balls to spare.

Maybe having to chase targets inside eight overs during the recent rainy season honed them for such fireworks.

Whatever the reason, it was fabulous viewing for home supporters in a crowd of about 5,500.

Skipper Taylor talked about the short boundary to the eastern side and customary wind coming in from the west as key T20 factors at Hove when he spoke to The Argus ahead of this one.

It was certainly blustery last night and the home openers were particularly keen to pepper that main scoreboard side during a savage onslaught.

They took 22 off the fourth over of the innings, delivered by Stuart Meaker, featuring a couple of Nash fours, then a steepling off-side six and straight driven four from Van Zyl.

Meaker later let a simple ball through his hands on the square leg boundary for the four which sent Nash to a 24-ball half-ton.

Van Zyl went to 50 off just 19 balls, 24 of his runs coming from a Moises Henriques over which brought a six, four fours and a two – to either side of the wicket.

But it was not just about the batsmen. Far from it.

Surrey had opted to bat first and Aaron Finch began with a trio of off-side fours as spinner Danny Briggs opened the bowling.

But he went in the next over as Tymal Mills got good pace and bounce and a tucked-up Finch edged an attempted pull straight to Chris Nash at slip.

Mills has struggled with a back and hamstring problems this summer but there are few finer sights than the big man charging down the slope and delivering at speed.

The Argus:

In his second over he induced dangerman Jason Roy into a miscued drive which was well held by the running Laurie Evans at cover point as it fell from the clouds.

Henriques was an appropriate man to lead Surrey’s recovery with 41 from 31 balls.

This was the Aussie’s first match back for the county since suffering a broken jaw in a horrendous clash with Rory Burns at Arundel two years ago.

He was almost caught by the flying Mills at fine leg off Chris Jordan before expiring as he skied a drive to deep extra-cover.

That Surrey did not really build on his good work was initially down to the spinners. Briggs, hit for 13 in his first over, conceded just three off his last and also bowled Ben Foakes.

Will Beer bowled Sam Curran, who was looking to pull, and Surrey were 105-5 off 14.

Ollie Pope looked to up the tempo, scooping a four and fine-hooking a six off successive Jofra Archer deliveries.

But Sussex held their catches. First Brown, dashing forward to snatch a mis-timed hook by Pope, who made 34 from 23 balls, then Evans doing likewise running in from third man to dismiss Tom Curran.

The latter helped Mills, who bowled a clever second spell up the incline, to figures of 3-20 and Brown’s run out of Meaker capped a pleasing 20-over shift with the ball by the hosts.