Skipper Chris Adams is refusing to take the easy option even though his Sussex side are already out of the Twenty20 Cup.

Adams has resisted the temptation to give squad players the opportunity to improve the county's wretched one-day form when they play Kent at Canterbury tonight (5.30pm).

Sussex cannot qualify for the quarter-finals after two defeats and an abandonment in their three south group games so far, but Adams knows any sort of one-day win at the moment would give his side a much-needed confidence boost.

Which is why he is putting his faith in the team which lost to Surrey and Hampshire to win back some pride against a Kent side who still have a chance of reaching the last eight.

Adams said: "I spoke to the lads after the Hampshire game and told anyone thinking they might get a couple of games off to think again.

"We reserve the right to change the side, of course, but I see these two games as important in the development of the side, not just in the Twenty20 but in one-day cricket as a whole. It's a great opportunity for us. They will be both played in front of big crowds and there should be a great atmosphere which we all love to play in."

The county suffered their 11th one-day defeat of the season at Hove yesterday although there was no disgrace in losing to a well-drilled Sri Lanka A team, three of whom will be linking-up with the senior squad for the Asia Cup later this week.

The tourists maintained their six-match unbeaten record with a 95-run win after Sussex were bowled out for 156 in 40.4 overs.

Sussex did well to restrict the tourists to 251-7 after Ian Daniel and Jehan Mubarak put on 130 in 23 overs for their third wicket.

Mubarak hit a six and nine fours in his 71 off 83 balls while Daniel made a run-a-ball 68 with ten boundaries before he was run out by Murray Goodwin's direct hit from extra cover.

Off-spinner Mark Davis and Michael Yardy applied the brakes when the ball got soft and the tourists could only manage 78 off the last 20 overs.

But their total was still inflated by 31 extras with Jason Lewry (3-39) the pick of the seven bowlers used by acting captain James Kirtley.

Sussex's top order was wrecked by the lively Ranga Dias who removed Murray Goodwin, Richard Montgomerie and Robin Martin-Jenkins in the space of eight deliveries. At 50-4 in the 20th over there was no way back for Sussex, but Tony Cottey played nicely against the spinners, hitting two sixes as he made his first half-century of the season.

Sussex (v Kent, tonight): Ward, Prior, Yardy, Adams, Goodwin, Martin-Jenkins, Wright, Davis, Mushtaq Ahmed, Kirtley, Lewry.

Second Test Match Cairns: Australia 517 & 292-9 (Hayden 132, Martyn 52) v Sri Lanka 455 and 183-8.

Twenty20 Cup Midlands/West/Wales, Edgbaston: Warwickshire Bears 123-7 v Northamptonshire Steelbacks 125-6.

South Division, Southgate: Essex Eagles 120-8 v Middlesex Crusaders 121-1 (P N Weekes 55 no).

Today, Twenty20 Cup North Division, Riverside: Durham v Derbyshire (18.00). Grace Road: Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire.

Midlands/West/Wales Division Taunton: Somerset v Worcestershire. South, The Rose Bowl: Hampshire v Middlesex. Canterbury: Kent v Sussex.