Chairman David Green insisted today that Sussex's financial position will not prevent them from making another significant addition to their playing squad.

Director of cricket Peter Moores has trimmed the playing budget by £100,000 because the club are concerned they will make another big loss following their £360,000 deficit in the last financial year.

Tony Cottey and Kevin Innes have both been released and the only additions to the squad so far are Academy products Chris Nash and Neil Turk.

Green said: "When Peter sat down to sort out the playing staff his priority was to put our own house in order first in terms of the existing players and then sign two youngsters who we feel show real promise.

"But there is still money left to finance a signing which would bring the squad up to 19. That would effectively be two more players than this season because Jason Voros hasn't been able to play any first team cricket while he waits to be EU qualified.

"We don't want the playing standards at this club to fall. In fact, with the squad we have there's no reason why we can't go and win the Championship next season.

"Even though we've had to cut the playing budget, I think we will end up with a bigger and better balanced squad than this season."

Sussex are still heavily in debt because of the crippling interest payments on the £850,000 loan which financed the building of the new indoor school in 2002 and improvements to the pavilion this year.

The money was loaned against the sum they will eventually receive as main beneficiaries of the will of former club president Spen Cama, who died in 2001.

Sussex are guaranteed 34 per cent of the £22.3m probate value of the estate and further funds from the sale of a property company which will shortly go on the market.

After months of negotiations, Green expects Sussex to finally receive their first payment later this year. He refused to confirm the amount involved but said it would clear the county's exisiting debts. The rest of the money has to be received by next May at the latest because one of the stipulations in Mr Cama's will was that his affairs were tidied up within four years of his death.

"Our members and supporters might wonder why we are asking Peter Moores to cut the playing budget when there is at least £7m coming our way and probably substantially more on top," added Green.

"But no business can continue to run at a loss, something has to give. If we kept making £350,000 losses every year the Spen Cama money would soon go and people would be accusing us of squandering our inheritance."

The county's finances received another boost yesterday when Sussex-based p@v i.t. services confirmed they would be sponsoring the club for a further two years.

On the pitch, Michael Yardy made his maiden Championship hundred on the second day of the final match of the season against Surrey.

The left-hander, who was only playing after Ian Ward pulled out because of illness, moved smoothly into the 90s this morning after resuming on 69 not out.

Not surprisingly, he became a little nervous as he approached the landmark but got there in the 56th over with a single off slow left-armer Nyan Doshi.

His hundred came off 182 balls with 18 fours and his fourth wicket stand with skipper Chris Adams is so far worth 84 runs.

Yesterday, Surrey slumped to 16-4 after winning the toss but they were revived by Rikki Clarke's superb 112 before being bowled out for 283.

A good crowd would have struggled to remember a better innings at Hove this season as Clarke stroked 18 boundaries and three sixes, two of them off Mushtaq Ahmed who has rarely been treated with so little respect.

Clarke's ability has never been in doubt, but questions have been asked about his mental frailty. A few of those were answered yesterday when he walked to the crease with his side in the cart after James Kirtley and Jason Lewry had exploited ideal bowling conditions to reduce Surrey to 60-5.

Kirtley took 3-44 in his new ball spell and Lewry 2-13 before Ali Brown (54) and Clarke went for their shots as conditions eased.

They added 82 in 13 overs for the sixth wicket and after lunch Martin Bicknell put on 86 with Clarke in 15 before Mushtaq ended Clarke's fun as he came down the pitch trying to deposit the leg-spinner over the hospitality tents for a third time.

Mark Davis's exemplary control brought the off-spinner 3-26 and there was no let-up in the entertainment when Sussex began their reply after tea.

Richard Montgomerie fell to Bicknell but only after completing 1,000 first-class runs for the season, but Yardy prospered on a day which saw 409 runs and 13 wickets.