Tim Seifert hopes a first Sussex century will be good for confidence.

But he would have loved it to be in a winning cause.

Seifert hit three sixes off the last four deliveries to reach 100 not out in the Vitality Blast contest at Hampshire.

But the game was already well beyond Sharks by then, who lost by 22 runs chasing 200 to win.

Seifert, whose runs came off 56 balls, said: “I never thought the century was in play.

“When we came out after the rain it was kind of like ‘see what happens’.

“We were always behind the eight ball but you never know what’ll happen if you take it deep.

“You’d rather win but for the confidence it is good.

“Whenever we wanted to start putting the pressure back on them we kept losing wickets.

“It was hard to get away the new ball and then we never managed to get partnerships.

“They batted really well. They got to a flier and a few wickets got us back in the game. We pride ourselves on taking wickets but we probably gave them a little too many runs at the back end.”

Defeat ended a run of three wins for Sussex, who are in the thick of the qualification battle from the ever-competitive South Group but were never really in this contest.

Hampshire plundered 56 from the powerplay and never really eased up.

Seifert said: “There is no panic at all after that. We have been playing some good cricket but we have a few things to tidy up.”

James Vince and Ben McDermott captured a new club record as Hampshire finally tasted victory in this season’s Blast.

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Vince and McDermott, who scored 65 and 60 respectively, crashed 124 together to break the Hawks’ best T20 opening stand and set up a mammoth total of 199-6.

Seifert put on 69 with Delray Rawlins in an otherwise slack chase from the Sharks as they never controlled the required rate.

Hawks had lost their first four matches but jump off the bottom of the South Group, while Sussex remain fourth after a mixed start.