Sussex are still bottom of the National League despite a sensational comeback by fast bowler James Kirtley against Surrey last night.

Kirtley had Brown caught at slip with his first ball for the county since June 15 and followed it up by removing Ward nine deliveries later as Surrey made a wretched start in their pursuit of a victory target of 195.

When Robin Martin-Jenkins pinned Ricky Clarke in the 11th over to leave the visitors tottering on 25-3, Sussex were on course to record only their third win of the season in Division Two.

Mark Ramprakash and Nadeem Shahid then pulled their side around with a fourth wicket stand of 131 and both men made half-centuries as Surrey eased to a six wicket win with 34 balls to spare.

A seventh defeat in ten starts leaves Sussex four points adrift at the bottom of the table, but at least their opponents were made to work for their win, which has not always been the case in the National League this season.

Kirtley was not the only player celebrating a happy return to action either. Skipper Chris Adams, who has been out for three weeks with a calf strain, held the top order together by scoring only the third half-century by a Sussex player in the competition this season.

Adams made 60 from 74 balls with seven fours and a pulled six into the pavilion off Adam Hollioake, but when he departed in the 31st over with the score 110-7 Sussex were in danger of making another hash of things with the bat.

They were pulled round by Kevin Innes, who made his maiden limited overs 50 for his new county, and Mark Davis who showed no ill effects after breaking a hand three weeks ago against Somerset.

The pair put on 84 in 14 overs, a new record for the county in the one-day league, beating the 75 made by Tony Pigott and David Smith on the same ground against Northamptonshire 13 years ago.

Innes reached his half-century in the last over, having faced 60 balls and hit six fours and a superb straight six off Saqlain Mushtaq.

The last Sussex batsman to show the Pakistani spin wizard such contempt was Mark Robinson in a memorable cameo when the teams met in the Championship three years ago.

They were given the opportunity to resucitate the innings by Adam Hollioake's surprise decision not to bring Ed Giddins back into the attack until the 42nd over.

Giddins, who recorded career-best one-day figures against his former county at the Oval in June, looked like bettering them when he wrecked Sussex's top order with a new ball burst of 4-21 from seven overs.

He broke through in the second over when Richard Montgomerie obligingly turned the ball straight into the hands of square leg.

In the sixth over Giddins did just enough off the seam to unseat Murray Goodwin, but the real damage to the Sussex innings was done in the last over of his first spell when Tony Cottey was bowled via an inside edge on the drive and Matt Prior had his timbers rearranged next ball offering no shot.

Robin Martin-Jenkins and Tim Ambrose both hinted that they could help stage a recovery with their captain, but Martin-Jenkins was superbly caught above his head by Saqlain at mid on as he aimed a lofted drive at Tim Murtagh and Ambrose clipped Alex Tudor into the hands of mid-wicket when the England man returned to the attack.

Once the white ball had lost its hardness batting became more comfortable on an easy-paced pitch and Adams will have been delighted to discover his timing and touch hasn't deserted him during his second enforced lay-off of an injury-ravaged summer.

Innes took the lead from his captain who will have doubtless admired the quality of some of his straight driving as much as the majority of the 3,000 crowd.

He helped give the hosts a total they could defend and when Kirtley was roaring in from the Cromwell Road End as if he had never been away it looked as if the fourth one-day meeting between the sides this season might go Sussex's way.

Adams took a fine catch at slip when Brown nibbled at Kirtley's first ball and an inswinging, full length delivery accounted for Ward. Kirtley took his sweater with figures of 2-6 from five overs and when he returned in mid-innings he immediately bowled a maiden.

By then, however, Ramprakash and Shahid were firmly established.

Ramprakash was first to his half-century, the fifth in his last six one-day innings for Surrey. He hit six fours and a pulled six onto the pavilion roof off Billy Taylor who had his revenge when Ramprakash mis-timed a drive to mid off after making 60 off 80 balls.

The fourth wicket pair compiled their runs in 23 overs to leave their side 39 runs short of victory and Shahid made sure there were no unexpected twists. He too cleared the ropes on the pavilion side, this time off Innes, and also struck seven fours in his 95-ball 74.