A five-for from James Kirtley and Matt Prior's entertaining 76 were the only crumbs of comfort for Sussex as their dispiriting defence of the FP Trophy continued yesterday.

The Sharks did well to restrict south division leaders Kent to 264-9 after they had looked on course to post 300 on a flat Hove pitch.

Kirtley improved his chances of returning to Championship action at Arundel on Wednesday with the sixth five-for of his career after Andrew Hall held Kent's innings together with 119.

Even after they slumped to 85-6 in the 24th over of the reply, there was still hope while Prior was constructing an innings every bit as impressive as those he has played in the Test series against West Indies.

But when he holed out trying to clear long off in the 31st over the entertainment - and Sussex's hopes - were over. There were still 16.2 overs unused when they were bowled out for 152, Kent's winning margin a hefty 112 runs.

Prior scored his runs off just 72 balls with eight fours and two straight sixes off Ryan McLaren and Simon Cook but the fact that Luke Wright's 18 was the next highest score said much about a sorry Sussex effort.

The Sharks surprisingly rested top scorer Richard Montgomerie and, not surprisingly, Mushtaq Ahmed, in an effort to try to find a winning blend.

Coach Mark Robinson inists that they are still taking the competition seriously and that places in the remaining two games will have to be earned. But there would have been a few harsh words said behind closed doors last night after a pretty limp batting display.

A good pitch, fast outfield and short boundary on the pavilion side were ideal batting conditions as Hall, and then Prior later on, proved.

But the reply got off to the worst possible start when Mike Yardy was trapped on the crease by Hall off the first ball.

With Ollie Rayner, who made a one-day fifty last season, coming in at nine, Sussex batted long but apart from a Prior-dominated stand of 52 in seven overs with Wright, they were unable to construct a partnership to give them the base to challenge Kent's score.

Murray Goodwin might have done it but he was run out in unfortunate circumstances when James Tredwell deflected Prior's straight drive onto the stumps as Goodwin backed up too far.

Robin Martin-Jenkins was run out without facing after a mix-up with Prior and Sussex's other main hope, skipper Chris Adams, lost his off stump as he aimed to hit Arafat through mid on.

At least Prior entertained a good crowd who relished what will probably be the last opportunity to see him in a Sussex shirt for a while.

A century would have been the perfect homecoming and it looked on the cards until Arafat was brought back and made the breakthrough with his third ball. The remaining four wickets fell in 22 balls.

Not even Prior could match the application shown by South African Hall who scored his fifth one-day hundred. Just for good measure, he then took two wickets when he opened the bowling.

It was not a great day for the Sussex attack, Kirtley apart.

Yardy is still not able to bowl because of his recently-broken finger and Adams had to juggle his resources carefully without the option of a sixth bowler.

Rana Naved must be sick of the sight of South Africans after he was regularly targeted during Pakistan's one-day series there earlier this year.

His four overs with the new ball cost 27 runs as Hall gave him some stick but he bounced back creditably in his second spell and was rewarded when a yorker did for Hall after he had made his 119 in 131 deliveries with 11 fours.

Kirtley wrapped up the tail with three wickets at the end after an excellent new-ball spell had accounted for both openers Geraint Jones and Darren Stevens.

It was vintage Kirtley who has responded with the professionalism you have come to expect after losing his Championship place.

Both he and Prior, who heads up to Old Trafford today for the third Test, will remember the day but not too many others in a Sharks shirt will.