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Notts in driving seat against Sussex

Murray Goodwin was back among the runs for Sussex © Getty Images

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Nottinghamshire are well placed to close the gap on LV= County Championship Division One leaders Warwickshire after maintaining their strong position against Sussex at Hove.

Riki Wessels (199) missed out on a double century by the narrowest of margins as Nottinghamshire stretched their first-innings lead to 119 in the morning before being bowled out for 428. Andy Carter (three for 52) then took three quick wickets as Sussex slumped to 99 for four in reply before Murray Goodwin and Luke Wright led the fightback.

Goodwin ended a lean run which had seen him make just 39 in eight Championship innings by ending the day on 52 not out while Wright continued his good form with an unbeaten 37. The pair came together with Sussex still trailing by 20 runs but put on 78 to take Sussex to 177 for four, a lead of 58 going into the final day.

In the Clydesdale Bank 40, Phil Hughes marked his return to county cricket after a two-year break by blasting a century on his CB40 debut for Worcestershire against former club Middlesex at New Road. Three days after flying into England, the Australian batsman led the Royals' late dash to 235 for five and left-arm paceman Jack Shantry sealed a 56-run victory with three wickets in an over as Middlesex folded for 179.

Scotland's second highest 40-over total proved nowhere near enough to test Durham in their match at Chester-le-Street. A century by South African left-hander Jean Symes propelled the Saltires to 258 for four after being put in. But under cloudless skies on a run-laden pitch Durham cruised to an eight-wicket victory with 6.3 overs to spare.

A Michael Carberry hundred and a fluent half-century from Jimmy Adams led Hampshire to a comfortable nine-wicket win over Somerset in front of a 4,000 Taunton crowd. The two openers set their side on course to easily chase down a target of 213 with a stand of 103 in 14 overs before Adams fell for 56. Carberry went on to score an unbeaten 103 off 83 balls, with a six and 14 fours, as the visitors skated to victory with more than 11 overs to spare.

Jeetan Patel's four wickets helped the Warwickshire Bears make it three wins from three Group C games with an easy eight-wicket victory over the Northamptonshire Steelbacks. The New Zealand spinner took a superb four for 27 and Keith Barker three for 27 as the Steelbacks were bundled out for only 148, with only Alex Wakely providing any resistance in making 62 off 78 balls. The Bears were comfortably able to chase down their small target with 44 deliveries to spare as Varun Chopra made an unbeaten 87 from 117 balls.

Gary Ballance's unbeaten century carried Yorkshire to an eight-wicket win over the Unicorns at Scarborough. Left-armers Ryan Sidebottom and Mitchell Starc took three wickets apiece as the visitors were bowled out for 184 despite an unbeaten 83 from keeper Tom New. The Tykes slipped to 26 for two but Adam Lyth (60 not out) joined Ballance - who hit 103 from 91 balls, with eight fours and four sixes - in an unbroken stand of 160.

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