Abdul Razzaq, the Pakistan all-rounder who was signed only four days ago to provide some impetus to Surrey's Twenty20 Cup campaign, did his job to perfection yesterday by hitting 28 runs off one over from Robin Martin-Jenkins, his Sussex counterpart.

When Razzaq went in, Surrey, who have failed to reach the finals day only once since they won the inaugural competition in 2003, were limping along at 90 for five, needing 51 from seven overs to avoid a third successive home defeat in the South division.

Fours overs later, the match was as good as over after Razzaq had struck Martin-Jenkins for four sizzling fours in an arc between mid-wicket and extra cover, driven him through the hands of Carl Hopkinson at long-off and over the rope for six and hit another enormous six over mid-wicket.

It was just what the crowd of about 15,000 had come to see but they had to wait a long time for it after Sussex had struggled to a far from impressive 141 for five and Surrey had made desperately hard work of their reply.

Chris Nash had given Sussex a flying start by making 43 out of 62 in only seven overs for the first wicket, but Matt Prior, who many people felt should have been opening for England in the one-day games, was out cheaply for the third successive match, pulling Razzaq to mid-wicket when on 13.

Murray Goodwin swept Usman Afzaal's second ball into the hands of Scott Newman at mid-wicket and Sussex lost all their momentum when Nash, who had made 52 off 41 balls with a six and seven fours, hoisted Matt Spriegel to mid-on. Spriegel, who is in the middle of his examinations at Loughborough University, had Dwayne Smith caught at long-off in his next over and spin worked so well for Surrey that Spriegel, bowling off breaks, and Afzaal, slow left-arm, conceded only 32 in eight overs between them.

It was as much as Chris Adams and Michael Yardy could do to get Sussex up to a presentable total but it still looked like being enough when Surrey also faltered after a brisk start.

Smith, the West Indies all-rounder who has also been signed specifically for Twenty20, did the damage, taking the wickets of James Benning, Newman and Alistair Brown. Mark Ramprakash was run out in a mix-up with Brown and Surrey looked a beaten side until Razzaq, playing in only his second game, launched his withering assault and left Sussex wondering where their first win was coming from.

Scoreboard

Sussex
C D Nash c Ramprakash b Spriegel 52
M J Prior c Collins b Razzaq 13
M W Goodwin c Newman b Afzaal 2
D R Smith c Newman b Spriegel 9
*C J Adams not out 29
R J Hamilton-Brown lbw b Razzaq 6
M H Yardy not out 15
Extras (b 1, lb 10, w 2, nb 2) 15

Total (5 wkts, 20 overs) 141

C D Hopkinson, R S C Martin-Jenkins, R J Kirtley and C D Collymore did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-62, 2-68, 3-82, 4-88, 5-100.

Bowling: Collins 4-0-39-0; Dernbach 4-0-36-0; Razzaq 4-0-23-2; Spriegel 4-0-16-2; Afzaal 4-0-16-1.

Surrey
S A Newman c Nash b Smith 21
J G E Benning lbw b Smith 7
*M R Ramprakash run out 16
A D Brown b Smith 13
U Afzaal not out 16
J N Batty c Goodwin b Martin-Jenkins 9
Abdul Razzaq not out 39
Extras (lb 3, w 18) 21

Total (5 wkts, 18 overs) 142

C J Jordan, M N W Spriegel, J W Dernbach and P T Collins did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-46, 3-68, 4-77, 5-90.

Bowling: Collymore 2-0-18-0; Martin-Jenkins 4-0-49-1; Kirtley 3-0-19-0; D R Smith 4-0-14-3; Hamilton-Brown 2-0-20-0; Yardy 3-0-19-0.

Umpires: N G B Cook and T E Jesty.