Sussex powered to a nine-wicket victory with four overs to spare as Vitality Blast leaders Kent lost their 100 per cent record tonight.

Jofra Archer, keen to prove his fitness for England's second Ashes Test against Australia at Lord's, took 1-28 runs as the Sharks moved to second place in the South Group table.

Sussex, chasing 155, got off to a fine start when Luke Wright and Phil Salt hit 38 runs off the first four overs before Wright was bowled by Adam Milne with the last ball of the fifth over for 24 off 18 balls.

Sussex were looking strong at 81-1 at the halfway stage, with Salt leading the charge with an unbeaten 40.

But in the final stages, even Salt's destructive batting was overtaken by Laurie Evans, who hit Fred Klaassen for 16 in three deliveries.

Evans finished with 65 not out from 35 deliveries, with six fours and three sixes, while Salt's unbeaten 63 from 44 balls included six fours and two sixes.

Chris Jordan replaced Reece Topley, who was not 100 per cent fit, in Sussex's line-up.

Archer, who will also play for Sussex 2nd XI in a three-day match against Gloucestershire at Blackstone, starting on Tuesday, was hit for 20 in his first two overs.

But Jordan broke through for the Sharks in the third over when his off-cutter hit the top of the dangerous Zak Crawley's off-stump.

Daniel Bell-Drummond responded by hitting Jordan for successive sixes over square-leg as Kent raced to 52 after five overs before some tight bowling by Tymal Mills - who dismissed Ollie Robinson and Heino Kuhn in successive overs - and Rashid Khan, who bowled Bell-Drummond with a googly for 50, gave the Sharks some control in the middle overs.

When Archer returned to bowl the 17th over, with the Spitfires 130 for five, he conceded just three runs. And in the next over Mills dismissed the dangerous Mohammad Nabi for a 29-ball 43.

In his final over, Archer conceded just five runs and had Milne caught in the deep by Salt.

Salt felt the nature of the win sent out a message.

He said: “It was a great statement of intent.  

"We’re playing good cricket and getting into some really good habits.  

"The boys are looking really strong.  The batters are coming off, the bowlers are coming off and we’re looking a really good team at the moment."