David Wiese played a matchwinning innings to ensure Sussex passed a test of nerve in their white-ball opener.

The South African went in at 110-4 and scored 92 not out off 81 balls to guide Sharks past the all-international XI fielded by Surrey at the 1st Central County Ground.

For the statisticians, it was Wiese’s highest score in limited overs cricket for the county.

Perhaps more importantly, it was the limelight-grabbing performance on home turf many of his admirers have wanted to see from him in the belief his contribution and qualities can be under-rated by some.

A televised cross-border tussle before a vibrant crowd of about 5,000 on a sunny Bank Holiday counts as a pretty decent stage.

Wiese is a hard hitter but combined that with control and a steady nerve to get the job done in the type of position from where Sussex have sometimes fallen away in the past.

The win, chasing 275 in 50 overs, gets them off to a flyer in the Royal London One-Day Cup South Group.

Luke Wright, who recently retired from first-class cricket and signed a new white-ball deal, threatened to be the star man for much of a long afternoon and evening.

He made 69 off 82 balls at the top of the order and, once Phil Salt shovelled an easy catch to mid-off after blasting 32 off 22 balls, looked like he would be the backbone of the reply.

They were still 98 runs from victory when Wright edged behind having hit eight fours and a six.

But Wiese took over the mantle, passing 50 off 44 balls.

Thanks to their top men, Sussex always had the required run rate well under control but lost wickets on too regular a basis for the chase to ever be comfortable.

They needed 55 off the last ten overs but George Garton was bowled by Gareth Batty as he looked to sweep and Tom Curran yorked Will Beer.

Danny Briggs stuck with Wiese, who hit 14 fours, to ensure the points were wrapped up with 11 deliveries in hand.

Sussex would have been pleased with their bowling and fielding effort, despite a rare below-par day for England’s Chris Jordan.

He put down a relatively easy slip chance off Mark Stoneman in Beer’s first over and was often wayward with the ball.

But Beer and fellow spinner Briggs did a decent job and Sussex took wickets every time it seemed Surrey might gather momentum.

Rarely was that better illustrated then when Will Jacks (56) picked out Laurie Evans on the long-off rope having just passed 50.

Surrey had passed 200 going into the last ten overs but Sussex were able to prevent them getting away.

When Ben Foakes went to 50 off 55 balls by driving high past long-on for a one-bounce four, it was only his third boundary. Rikki Clarke lofted Wiese for a legside six but was lbw next ball attempting a flick towards fine leg.

And Foakes was caught for 64 on the legside boundary off Mir Hamza (4-43) by Garton, who had earlier bowled with bounce and pace as Sussex closed the innings out.