HAMPSHIRE were well beaten at home to rivals Sussex at The Ageas Bowl tonight.

A catch-of-the season contender from Will Smith helped reduce Sussex to 14-3, but even with Luke Wright and Mahela Jayawardene back in the hutch by the end of the second over, Hampshire’s attack could not stop their south-coast rivals from winning by seven wickets.

It was the less heralded duo of Craig Cachopa (89*)and Matt Machan (52*) who sealed Hampshire’s fate, their unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 144 from 95 balls securing Sussex victory with eight deliveries to spare.

Hampshire’s 157-6 was well below their usual high standards, even taking into account the slow wicket, but featured a 24-ball gem from James Vince (41) in his last game before joining England’s T20 squad.

And when Smith took one of the best catches ever seen at The Ageas Bowl in a dream over bookended by the dismissals of two stellar names it seemed like it might be Hampshire’s night once again.

Diving full stretch at backward point, Smith held on with both hands after a full-blooded Wright cut had most of the 7,200 crowd – Hampshire’s biggest of the season – waiting for the thud of leather on advertising hoarding.

Then the great Jayawardene – having provided a reminder of his class with a cushioned cover drive – was caught behind trying to hit Chris Wood back over his head.

With Sussex’s two biggest threats gone, the visitors slipped to 14-3 when Ben Brown drove the fifth delivery from Gareth Berg (4-0-24-1), who was the pick of Hampshire’s attack on his T20 debut for the county, straight to Sean Ervine at extra cover.

Sussex limped to 35-3 at the end of their powerplay (Hampshire were 49-1) and were 54-3 at halfway – still needing 104. But then Cachopa and Machan gave their partnership impetus, both hitting Danny Briggs (4-0-40-0) for six in the space of three balls.

They proved unstoppable thereafter. Wood conceded successive fours against Cachopa and Briggs another six over mid-wicket against the young New Zealander as Sussex reduced their target to just 42 from five overs.

When Cachopa thumped Yasir Arafat for his fourth six over mid-wicket at the beginning of a 17th over that cost 16, a Sussex win was a formality. Cachopa faced only 54 balls for what is his highest T20 score as he and Machan did to Hampshire what Alex Blake and Sam Northeast did last month.

At least we had one last Vince knock to savour before he joins up with England’s record-breakers for the last game of New Zealand’s tour, at Old Trafford on Tuesday. Hampshire’s captain threatened to sign off with a big one when he pulled Tymal Mills for six in the third over.

His full kaleidoscope of shots followed, but he lost Michael Carberry, caught at short fine-leg after top edging an attempted pull against Mills.

Jimmy Adams hit the last ball of the powerplay for six but then Vince was stumped attempting to cut Yardy, two balls after launching the slow left-armer over mid-wicket for his second maximum.

Hampshire were 76-3 at halfway, when Adams (21) was caught behind trying to cut at the end of the next over.

Former Essex teammates Adam Wheater (26)and Owais Shah (36) put on 54 in six overs when Ervine (five) failed to fire - but it was not nearly enough