Centuries from Richard Montgomerie and Chris Adams at Edgbaston yesterday have all but made sure that Sussex will head back home tonight with promotion.

The county have Division One wrapped up with one game to go.

And how much the two will have enjoyed the fact that their efforts yesterday came against Warwickshire, a county Sussex have been bending the knee too for far too long.

Warwickshire lost interest in Rugby-born Montgomerie after he had played for the county's junior teams until he was 19 while it wasn't just the more vociferous members of the Edgbaston crowd who accused Adams of sour grapes when his team were rolled over on a green top in less than two days in an equally important Championship match a couple of years ago.

Yesterday the boot was firmly on the other foot. Montgomerie took his first-class aggregate for the season to 1,685 runs after making 121, his eighth hundred of an unforgettable summer.

Meanwhile Adams weighed in with his third century of the season, becoming the third Sussex batsman to pass 1,000 runs in the process.

With a day left, it might not be enough to secure Sussex's first win over the Bears since 1992 or their first in Birmingham for 20 years.

But they have insured themselves against defeat after finishing on 324-3, a lead of 397 with Adams unbeaten on 132.

If the game ends in a draw the four points will guarantee Sussex's place in Division One next season while a victory would leave them needing just six more from the final game against Gloucestershire to ensure they go up as champions.

It won't have escaped Adams's notice either that either result would make Warwickshire's task in joining them in the top flight that much harder.

The pair came together after nightwatchman James Kirtley had done his job in the morning, frustrating the bowlers for an hour before he was caught at slip driving loosely at Vasbert Drakes.

At that stage Sussex's lead was only 120, but by the time Adams and Montgomerie had been parted after tea they had extended it to 319 after a partnership full of the positive batting which Sussex have been producing all season to take them to the brink of the first division.

Neither offered a chance off the bat as they put on 199 in 66 overs. Montgomerie survived a couple of narrow escapes on 40 and 103, but a combination of solid strokeplay and good running between the wickets quickly had Warwickshire on the defensive.

A cut through backward point off Mark Wagh brought Montgomerie his 13th boundary and took him to his hundred in the 72nd over. He'd added two more fours, batted for five hours 19 minutes and faced 257 balls for his 121 when a tired-looking pull off Drakes dropped straight into the hands of deep square-leg.

In the next over Adams went to his second century in less than a week and he will resume this morning on 132 with licence to throw the bat in the hour or so Sussex are likely to bat before the declaration.

What will have pleased Adams almost as much as his own achievements was the way Tim Ambrose batted with him in the early evening sunshine.

The 18-year-old is in sight of a half-century on his Championship debut after playing superbly for his unbeaten 41.

The county are still in with a chance of promotion in the Norwich Union League. Defeats for Worcestershire and Hampshire yesterday mean Sussex will return to Division One if they beat Hampshire at Hove next Sunday and Worcestershire lose their final game against Essex at New Road.