The Power of prayer and a bit of superstition helped Chris Adams lead Sussex to one of their most dramatic wins in years.

Adams followed his unbeaten century against Northants on Monday with the leading role as Sussex charged past Hampshire in stunning style at the Rose Bowl yesterday.

He also helped wipe out memories of their previous trip across the border, when he was out for nought and his side skittled for 101 just three days previously.

The county needed something special to pull off victory in their C&G Trophy third round tie after dropping well behind the required rate in response to a Hampshire total made challenging by the durability of Australian batsman Simon Katich.

Adams insisted he had never lost faith. He said: "Cricket's an amazing game. I travelled back on Sunday with Mushtaq Ahmed.

"He's a very religious man these days and he asked me to do one thing for him and that was to say a prayer that night when I got home.

"I did exactly that. I'm not religious in a big way but I did it on the spur of the moment and, of course, the following day I got a hundred, then 80 today.

"I'm not superstitious at all but I didn't change in the same spot and I got 80 not out and we won a thrilling game."

Twenty-seven runs from 12 balls was the daunting victory equation when Akram charged in for his last over.

Adams cracked a straight six, drove a four and three twos then, when everyone expected him to push a single off the last ball, he pulled another four through mid-wicket.

It was a shrewd gamble. Davis had already shown he was in good form and his four and single off Chris Tremlett allowed Adams to power the winning runs through midwicket.

Davis admitted: "We threw caution to the wind.

"We gave ourselves a chance. That is one of the best one-day innings I have seen from Chris with the way he was striking the ball.

"It's a massive win for the county because we have played two one-day games and lost them both. I think we will go from strength to strength."

Nic Pothas and Akram were the two batsmen who really looked to force the pace in the Hampshire innings but both fell to run-outs.

Pothas was a victim of a brilliant piece of work, looking for a quick single to mid-wicket and being beaten by Murray Goodwin's direct hit to the non-striker's end.

Hampshire were struggling to get the three runs an over at that stage, having opted to bat first.

Akram changed that with 38 in just 40 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes.

A disagreement with Katich over whether to take a second run to Robin Martin-Jenkins at fine leg led to Akram's demise.

Home skipper John Crawley looked out of touch at the top of the innings and his first attempt to accelerate led to him chopping James Kirtley on to his own stumps attempting a cut.

Robin Smith drove successive balls through the covers off Mike Yardy's first over but was beaten by a super delivery by Billy Taylor, who produced lift and movement to induce a thin edge to the keeper.

James Hamblin top-edged a pull to square leg and Dmitri Mascarenhas became the third run-out victim as Kirtley's swift return from the boundary exploited more hesitation between the wickets.

All the time Katich was there keeping his side on an even keel.

He accelerated sharply in the closing stages of the innings as Hampshire added 58 precious runs in the last seven overs.

He hit six balls in all, faced 95 balls and was ably assisted by a bright 21 from Will Kendall, with whom he added 48 in six overs at the business end of the innings.

Sussex's reply got off to a similarlarly sedate start.

Tim Ambrose was their best hope of hurrying things along and took a liking to anything short from Alan Mullally.

He twice pulled the former England man for fours but the same shot let him down when he offered a simple chance to mid-wicket.

Mullally also claimed Goodwin as he looked to pull and two quick, cheap wickets from Mascarenhas seemed to have settled the contest.

As Davis walked in 54 were needed off six overs and some Hampshire supporters were already going home, convinced the tie had been won.

They, and their team, were in for an almighty shock.

Sussex won by four wickets