Delray Rawlins endured a disappointing outing scoring just three runs and bowling one costly over as Sussex Sharks suffered a seven-wicket defeat by unbeaten Vitality Blast South group leaders Surrey at the Kia Oval yesterday.

Surrey won the toss and put the Sharks in to bat, with Tim Seifert opening the batting with captain Ravi Bopara, who was taking the place of the injured Luke Wright at the top of the order.

Bopara (6), started strongly and came within inches of hitting a maximum in the second over only to be caught in spectacular fashion by Will Jacks.

Tom Alsop, came to the crease and made 38 off 28 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes. Seifert was then bowled by in-form seamer Reece Topley, with Rawlins falling in the next over. Fynn Hudson-Prentice then provided some much needed stability at a crucial time in the innings.

He and Harrison Ward closed out the Sussex innings, with the latter once again batting positively, making 31 from 23 to help push the Sharks total above 140.

Hudson-Prentice went on to bat out the rest of the Sussex inning, finishing on 49 not out, as the hosts were set a target of 147 to win.

Surrey’s chase began superbly as openers Jason Roy and Jacks put on 110 — the onslaught starting in the first over by taking Rawlins’s left-arm spin for 19 — and it looked as though they would chase down 147 with little incident.

However, Obed McCoy finally found the breakthrough, claiming the wicket of Roy (50), before dismissing Sam Curran (1) just three balls later.

The Sharks attack persisted and were soon rewarded again as Tymal Mills dismissed Jacks on 57, but it was not enough to prevent Surrey from running out winners.

It was a second successive defeat for Sussex, having gone down to a 22-run defeat by Hampshire. They will be aiming to bounce back immediately with the visit of Gloucestershire to the 1st Central County Ground tomorrow.