Wily spinner Mushtaq Ahmed produced yet another magical display to leave Sussex on the brink of another Championship.

The maestro claimed four wickets as Notts were routed for 165, then added four more as the beleaguered home side closed 345 behind at 50-4 following on.

Matt Prior and Robin Martin-Jenkins earlier extended their stand to 140, the fourth century partnership of the innings, as Sussex declared on 560-6.

Darren Bicknell was dismissed twice in an afternoon in his final appearance.

Bicknell was first to fall when Notts replied, driving around a swinging ball from James Kirtley.

The final seven wickets fell for a mere 23 in less than 15 overs, Mark Ealham bamboozled by a Mushtaq googly and Stephen Fleming, returning late in the order with stitches in his finger, bizarrely caught off the bat at slip trying to paddle a sweep way down the leg-side.

When question marks over light, Chris Adams turned to Mushtaq and Michael Yardy early in the follow-on and it soon brought success.

Will Smith was lbw playing back to a googly, Mushtaq's sixth delivery in the sixth over of the innings.

David Alleyne and Fleming were both caught close in, both removed by Mushtaq for the second time in the day, while the final knock of Bicknell's 20-year first-class career ended when he was adjudged caught off bat and pad, before bad light ended play.

Mushtaq now needs three more wickets for 100 in the campaign, but paid tribute to his colleagues in the Sussex attack.

"The seamers bowled brilliantly again, it was a real team effort," he enthused.

Coach Mark Robinson also praised the team's display, and highlighted Kirtley's dismissal of Bicknell as crucial.

"You need big players to win titles - but you have to have very good players around them and you have to have an environment that is right for your big players to perform in.

"We have that. We're not just about Mush.

"We ask people to change the course of games, and it was James Kirtley who did that for us today.

"Both Rana and Jason Lewry hadn't quite got it right; the pitch was looking flat, and everyone was a bit tense. Then Kirtley comes up with that big wicket."