Delray Rawlins’s Sussex Sharks suffered another setback in their bid to advance beyond the Vitality Blast group stage after losing by four wickets away to leaders Surrey at The Kia Oval in Kennington today.

The visiting side posted 165 for seven after being sent to bat with Bermuda all-rounder Rawlins among five batsmen managing double figures with 20 from 17 deliveries, including two sixes after dropping down the order to No 5.

Surrey replied with 167 for six with five balls to spare.

Will Jacks struck 65 from 39 deliveries at the top of the order before an unbeaten 40 from 22 balls from the on loan Jamie Overton, who was dropped on 12, carried Surrey safely across the line and condemned Sussex to their second straight defeat and third overall in the Twenty20 tournament.

Leg spinner Will Beer led the Sussex attack with three for 34.

Rawlins went for 21 in the only two overs he sent down with his left-arm spin.

Sussex went into the match determined to bounce back from a 12-run defeat at home against champions Essex Eagles two days earlier but were pegged back early after losing two wickets during the power play.

Luke Wright, the Sussex captain, shared in partnerships of 36 and 33 with Calum MacLeod and Rawlins to stabilise the innings. However, the visiting side struggled to pick the gaps and had to rely on a late flurry from Ravi Bopara and David Wiese, who added 43 for the sixth wicket. Wright top scored with 45 from 37 deliveries, Wiese 33 from 23 while Bopara blasted three sixes in a whirlwind innings of 24 from just nine deliveries.

With the win group leaders Surrey booked their place in the knockout stages while Sussex remain in third, a point adrift of second place Kent Spitfires.

Sussex will now face Middlesex and Essex in their remaining South Group matches.

The top two teams in the group will progress to the quarter-finals, where they will be joined with the two best third-place teams among the overall three groups competing in the tournament.