A bonus point, acquired only seven runs and eight overs before being asked to follow on, was not the manner by which Sussex would like to have ensured another season in the first division. Well supported by a crowd of 3,000 on a benign autumn day, they managed to reach the probably crucial total of 200 in mid-afternoon thanks largely to Chris Nash's assured first championship century at Hove, but it was Yorkshire again who dominated.

Nothing is ever settled until the final day in the modern County Championship. The fact that Kent have taken the match against Durham into the last day means that technically Sussex could go down by losing today. Yorkshire could, too, if Sussex bowl out their opponents. That is highly unlikely, but at 80 for six on the first evening, no one expected a follow-on.

Anthony McGrath took the bold course, rather than the safety-first decision to bat again, because his team had bowled and fielded with confidence and zest. Only Murray Goodwin, stumped down the leg side propping forward to Steve Patterson's medium-fast, was out before lunch, but Matt Prior and Chris Adams were caught at point and backward point in successive overs, leaving Nash in the leading role. Using the pace of the ball well, he reached the second first-class hundred of a burgeoning career, adding 64 with Luke Wright before top-edging a pull.

Yorkshire's young century-makers, Adil Rashid and David Wainwright, shared the last four first-innings wickets and took another one apiece as next year's captain, Mike Yardy, led a more resolute batting performance in the final session.

Scoreboard

Yorkshire: First Innings 400 for 9 dec (A U Rashid 111, D J Wainwright 104 not out; Mohammad Sami 4 for 117)

Sussex: First Innings (overnight 25-3)
C D Nash c Lyth b Wainwright 106
M W Goodwin st Brophy b Patterson 16
M J Prior c Pyrah b Patterson 25
*C J Adams c Pyrah b Bresnan 0
L J Wright not out 40
R S C Martin-Jenkins lbw b Rashid 6
Mohammad Sami c Rudolph b Wainwright 1
J D Lewry c Lyth b Wainwright 0
Extras (b 2, lb 2, w 1) 5
Total (68 overs) 207

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-16, 3-23, 4-64, 5-124, 6-129, 7-193, 8-204, 9-207.

Bowling: Bresnan 18-2-54-1; Hoggard 15-0-48-2; Rashid 13-0-41-2; Patterson 14-4-39-2; Pyrah 3-0-12-0; Wainwright 5-1-9-3.

Second Innings (following on)
M H Yardy not out 60
C D Nash c Rudolph b Rashid 27
C D Hopkinson lbw b Wainwright 2
M W Goodwin not out 15
Extras (b 2, lb 6, w 6) 14
Total (2 wkts, 37 overs) 118

Fall of wickets: 1-88, 2-97.

Bowling: Hoggard 4-0-19-0; Patterson 5-2-20-0; Bresnan 2-0-16-0; Rashid 13-1-31-1; Wainwright 13-3-24-1.

Umpires: R J Bailey and R K Illingworth.

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