Sussex can do no wrong in Championship cricket at the moment and now it seems they are getting a grip on what is needed to win a few National League games as well.

The Sharks are still only separated from the bottom of the pile by Somerset but they have a clutch of teams in mid-table in their sights after securing a third win out of four against Durham Dynamos by eight runs with an over to spare at Hove last night.

The county did well to use up their 45 over allocation after they slumped to 126-8 in the 35th before Mark Davis, who top-scored with 30 from 41 balls, and Paul Hutchison at least gave their attack something to defend.

And Durham looked definite second favourites when Billy Taylor and Hutchison, effectively Sussex's second choice one-day attack in the absence of James Kirtley and Jason Lewry, combined to wreck their top order and reduce Durham to 26-5.

But the Dynamos were kept in the contest by a composed half-century from Gordon Muchall, a young batsman who, on this evidence, looks to have a big future. The 20-year-old batted for 41 overs to score the game's only half-century, dragging his side back into contention in a stand of 52 for the ninth wicket with Neil Killeen.

With three overs left Durham needed 22, but Matt Prior's brilliant pick-up and direct hit at extra cover ran out Muchall for 58 and Sussex were home and dry when Trevor Jesty gave his fourth lbw decision of the innings off the last ball of the penultimate over when Killeen played across a full toss from Taylor.

Quite what Sussex are going to do next in National League cricket is anyone's guess. Maybe even director of cricket Peter Moores and skipper Chris Adams are asking the same question.

They seem to have turned their one-day season around with a creditable show in the Twenty20 and now some better league performances but there are still areas of their game which will cause concern.

A subdued County Ground last night seemed to reflect what was going on out in the middle when Sussex batted. Although a respectable crowd of 2,000 turned up for the first of four day-night league matches, the mood was so different from the boisterous atmosphere during last month's Twenty20 games.

But the spectators did rouse themselves when Shoaib Akhtar was charging in up the slope off a 40 yard run up in two spells either side of a period off the field for treatment to ankle and toe injuries.

Akhtar never threatened to bowl another 100mph delivery and when he revealed later in the evening that he wears four pairs of socks every time he bowls to support dodgy ankles you were left wondering how he ever managed it in the first place.

Carl Hopkinson certainly had to have his wits about him when the Pakistani slipped in a 95mph ball first-up which the youngster did well to sway inside the line of.

Shoaib in full flight was one of the most impressive sights seen at the old ground for a while. The run-up may seem excessively long but it is what helps him generate such impressive rhythm and, last night at least, control.

Hopkinson was promoted to open but the experiment, like a few others at the top of the order this season, failed when he shovelled an attempted pull to mid on.

It was not the first misjudgement by a Sussex batsman. Murray Goodwin, becalmed by the sluggish surface, slapped a long hop straight to cover, Robin Martin-Jenkins came down the pitch to Graeme Bridge and lost his off stump and Tim Ambrose had a horrible mow across at the slow left-armer, the Sussex pair having earlier hinted at a mid-innings revival with a fifth wicket stand of 41 in seven overs.

Mushtaq clipped a full toss straight to mid-wicket while Shoaib returned to defeat Matt Prior, whose last four league innings have brought him three runs, with extra pace and late seam movement.

Seaming deliveries also accounted for Tony Cottey and Chris Adams and Sussex were well and truly in the cart at 126-8.

But Davis and Hutchison, who almost won a game together against Northamptonshire last month, adopted a sensible approach to a difficult situation, accumulating quietly while never wasting an opportunity when the bowlers strayed off line.

Hutchison pulled Killeen on to the main scoreboard for six and Davis lofted Durham's own Mark Davies over long on for a six in the last over before holing out trying to repeat the shot two balls later.

But at least Sussex had a toe-hold in the contest and within 12 overs of Durham's reply it had become a stranglehold.

Hutchison and Taylor bowled outstanding new ball spells to lay Durham's top order to waste with Hutchison striking with his third delivery when Andy Pratt was squared up and edged low to slip.

Nicky Peng played all round a straight one in Taylor's first over and a similar delivery, this time from Hutchison, did for a bemused Vince Wells.

Ambrose dived athletically to take the catch when the other Pratt - Andy's younger brother Gary - gloved Hutchison down the leg side and Taylor had his second wicket when seam movement accounted for Jon Lewis.

Muchall and Phil Mustard gave Durham hope with a sixth wicket stand of 36 in eight overs and Mustard, who is reckoned by some sound judges to be an England wicketkeeper of the future, was just starting to move through the gears when he fell for 32, deceived by a full toss from Mushtaq who had been on a hat-trick when he came on in the 16th over following two wickets in successive deliveries on his last appearance against Somerset.

Mushtaq's slider accounted for Bridge and then Hopkinson bowled Shoaib with a perfect off-cutter in his first over.