Murray Goodwin is confident Sussex can bounce back from an opening defeat in the Twenty20 Cup at Essex to progress to the quarter-finals for the first time.

Goodwin answered coach Mark Robinson's call for a heroic performance at Chelmsford but none of his team-mates were able to rise to the occasion in similar fashion as the Sharks lost by six wickets.

The 34-year-old became the first Sussex player to score a hundred in the competition since it was launched four years ago as he smashed nine fours and five sixes on his way to 102 not out.

It was only the 15th century in the entire history of the competition and almost single-handedly helped Sussex post a total of 165-5.

Such a score looked unlikely when Sussex were in trouble at 9-2 and 72-4 but it still proved well short as Essex eased to victory in the 18th over.

Sussex take on Middlesex at Hove on Sunday (2.30pm) needing to put this emphatic defeat behind them and Goodwin is sure they are capable of doing it.

He said: "It was nice to score a century but these things don't really mean anything if you lose.

"It was a frustrating performance but we can learn from it. We have got the players to do well in this competition but we didn't play well enough, it's as simple as that.

"I would probably have taken a score of 165 before the match but we didn't bowl and field well enough and were comfortably beaten.

"It is a disappointing start but it means we have got nothing to lose now.

"We haven't done well in this competition in the last four years so there is no pressure on us really.

"We have got an opportunity to bounce back straight away and if things go our way and we play a bit better then I think we can get a win and gain some momentum."

Sussex got off to the worst possible start as the decision to promote Luke Wright to opener backfired.

The all-rounder managed only three before he toe-ended a pull to Danish Kaneria at mid-on when trying to pull a short ball from Andy Bichel and when Ollie Rayner played all around a straight delivery from the same bowler three balls later Sussex were in trouble at 9-2.

Chris Adams and Goodwin set about rebuilding the innings with a steady, if not spectacular, 50 partnership but just as the pair were looking to accelerate the Sussex skipper carelessly picked out Grant Flower on the square leg boundary.

Michael Yardy was unable to celebrate his England call-up with a significant innings as he went for just four to make it 72-4 after 11 overs.

Carl Hopkinson came in to play the perfect supporting role in a stand of 80 before being run out for 17 but it was Goodwin who took centre stage as he raced from 50 to 100 in just 17 balls.

Essex wasted little time making inroads into Sussex's total as Mark Pettini and Grant Flower put on 60 for the first wicket in six overs before Wright bowled Pettini.

The Sharks were given a glimmer of hope when Hopkinson caught Flower off Mushtaq Ahmed to make it 84-2 but the big hitting Andy Bichel and Tim Phillips extinguished it almost immediately with a rapid stand of 45.

Bichel was eventually caught by Rana Naved at long on off Mushtaq for 33 and Phillips followed soon after, caught behind off Wright for 31, but James Foster and Ryan ten Doeschate finished off the job with 17 balls remaining.

How do you expect Sussex to fare in the Twenty20 Cup this year? Tells us below.