Sussex relegated to Division Two

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Trent Bridge:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Nottinghamshire 328 and 4-1, Sussex 243 (Notts 6pts, Sussex 4pts)
23-26 September

Live commentary

Match scorecard

Chris Nash hit his fourth County Championship hundred of the season

Sussex's eight-year stay in Division One is over after they collapsed to be bowled out for 243 at Trent Bridge.

Despite Chris Nash's 135, Sussex, who won three County Championships between 2003 and 2007, will now accompany Worcestershire down to Division Two.

They could partially atone on Sunday when they head for Worcester hoping to win to take the final Pro40 title.

But, ahead of next month's Champions League Twenty20 in India, Championship relegation is a bitter pill to swallow.

Even more so as, between 2003 and 2007, under Chris Adams, and with key spin weapon Mushtaq Ahmed all but averaging 100 County Championship wickets a season, Sussex were county champions three times in five years.

Sussex knew they were up against it right from the start of this game, having gone into the final week 15 points adrift, knowing that Lancashire, Yorkshire and Hampshire could all survive purely on first innings bonus points.

But the way this summer's Twenty20 Cup winners finally subsided at Trent Bridge was still a disappointment.

Sussex opener Nash appeared to have set the foundations for a big first innings total as he hit his fourth hundred of the season.

But, from 202-4, Sussex collapsed alarmingly, losing their last six wickets for 41 runs in 15 overs.

Andre Adams (4-63) and Samit Patel (3-40) then triggered a Sussex collapse before Nottinghamshire reached 4-1 by the close.

After Notts had secured a third batting point by moving on from their overnight 294-8 to be all out for 328, Sussex actually began well in reply.

Nash and skipper Mike Yardy survived without alarm to reach 61 without loss at lunch.

But Yardy then fished outside off stump to be caught behind and Joe Gatting soon followed with a similar shot.

After putting on 52 for the third wicket with Nash, Murray Goodwin slashed a short ball from Charlie Shreck straight to point and Rory Hamilton-Brown was adjudged lbw in the next over.

Throughout Nash looked untroubled by the Notts bowling in completing his sixth career hundred just before Sussex went into tea at 165-4.

But things went horribly wrong in the final session as Adams, his county's leading wicket-taker in 2009, bowled Andrew Hodd, had Robin Martin-Jenkins caught behind and then saw Smith hole out to deep midwicket.

In-between Nash saw his premeditated paddle sweep brilliantly caught by Ali Brown off Samit Patel, running around from slip to the leg-side as the visitors slumped to 218-8.

Piyush Chawla and Collymore swung hard in defiance before Collymore lost his off-stump to Adams.

And Chawla's dismissal, stumped by Read, gave Patel the wicket that ensured Sussex will be playing second tier cricket for the first time since 2001.