Sussex's Matt Prior

T20 South Group: Surrey 106-6 (16 overs) lost to Sussex 110-4 (11.4 overs) by six wickets (Duckworth/Lewis)

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Sussex booked their place in the FriendsLife T20 quarter finals with a comfortable win over Surrey, whose campaign looks over.

The south Londoners struggled with the bat and in the powerplay overs and the south coast side triumphed with more than three overs remaining.

Surrey lost the toss for the first time this season and were inserted by Sussex with Michael Yardy opening the bowling.

Kevin Pietersen, who was opening in last night’s 10-over game against

Steven Davies picked up the first run of the game and Jason Roy moved off the mark as well in the first over.

Davies dispatched Luke Wright to the square leg boundary to pick up the first four of the game and followed it up with a six later in the over and added another two fours to move onto 21.

Like Monday night, Roy was a spectator and he departed for four, caught by Liddle, off the bowling of Yardy.

That brought Pietersen to the crease to face the left-arm-spin of Yardy and he survived his first ball.

Liddle picked up a wicket of is own with Davies upper-cutting the bowler to Murray Goodwin at third man and Surrey had lost two wickets for no runs.

Zafir Ansari was the new man in with Pietersen facing the music.

Surrey picked up a bonus five runs when Matt Prior missed the ball and it cannoned onto the helmet to concede penalty runs.

Ansari departed soon after as he chipped Yardy to Wright at short extra cover.

Surrey had stalled and Pietersen tried to increase the pace, succeeding in picking out Joe Gatting off the bowling of Will Beer to bring out Zander de Bruyn.

Michael Rippon brought village green to the Kia Oval when he bowled a beamer that cruised down the leg side.

But he claimed the wicket of Matthew Spriegel, who backed away, swung, missed and saw his middle stump knocked out of the ground.

With 14 overs gone, the players went off for rain at 7.40pm but play resumed less than 10 minutes later.

Rory Burns decided it was time to step on the gas and he carted Chris Nash for six to lift the total closer to 100.

De Bruyn had accumulated 25 before smashing Nash for four to lift the total over the 100 mark.

Burns tried one big shot too many off the bowling of Amjad Khan and picked out Scott Styris at fine leg.

Captain Gareth Batty was the new man in and the pressure increased on De Bruyn.

But one ball later, at 7.58pm, the players were forced off with the rain coming down harder than the previous break.

Fifty minutes later the players were back out and Sussex needed 109 to win.

Nash immediately struck a four over the Indian spinner’s head and followed that up with a sweep for two and repeated the trick a few balls later.

Dirk Nannes was unable to continue his form from last night as Nash powered two fours to move to 21.

Stuart Meaker came into the attack and he removed the dangerous Nash with his first ball, the opener skying the ball and Davies pouched the catch.

Prior announced himself by smashing Nannes for a massive six and edged a four, despite the efforts of Burns and the wicketkeeper carved another boundary the very next ball.

The Australian responded by going over the wicket but Prior produced a textbook cover drive that raced to the boundary.

Wright, who had only scored five of the first 48 runs, blasted a four of his own as 23 came off Nannes’ second over – 11 more than his two overs yesterday in a 10 over game.

De Bruyn came into the attack and Wright smashed a four and then a mammoth six to take the required target below 50 and the required rate to a shade over four an over.

Kartik returned to the attack and allowed seven runs off his over.

Batty, finally, introduced himself to the attack and was successful with his second ball, removing Prior for 25, caught in the deep by Roy but with a target of 33 needed off more than eight overs, more wickets were needed.

Goodwin was the next man in and he was off the mark with his first ball.

Wright was the next man to go, with 19 runs required, caught and bowled by Batty to bring Scott Styris to the crease.

Sussex lost their fourth wicket with eight required as Batty lured Goodwin out of his crease and the Zimbabwean was stumped.

Joe Gatting was the next man in and was off the mark that over.

Ansari was brought into the attack to try and keep the game alive with four overs to go and seven need to win.

He couldn’t do that as Gatting launched a six to seal the win.