SUSSEX survived for just more 18 balls at Northampton this morning before they were condemned to their first Championship defeat for three months.

Tony Cottey added eight more runs to his overnight 104 before he was bowled off a thick inside edge by Jason Brown to give the second division leaders victory by an innings and 17 runs after Sussex were bowled out for 211.

Brown finished with a career-best 7-78 and the off-spinner now has 50 first-class wickets, 46 of them taken in the last five games. Northants have won four of those five and are now four points clear of Essex who completed victory over Worcestershire at Kidderminster today.

Sussex have dropped to third, but they trail the leaders by 22 points ahead of the crucial return meeting between the counties at Eastbourne next week.

Skipper Chris Adams admitted his side were always struggling after making a modest 232 in their first innings in perfect batting conditions.

He said: "We lost it on the first day. Another hundred or so runs may have made it different and we had them 139-4 when they batted but couldn't make any more inroads and it was always an uphill battle after that."

Brown and fellow off-spinner Graeme Swann took 15 of the wickets which fell in the match and Adams admitted their opponents slow bowlers carried more of a threat, even though Sussex's left-armer Umer Rashid claimed a career-best 5-103.

"Northants have a reputation for pitches which help their spinners, especially at this time of the year, and subconsciously our batsmen might have drawn conclusions about the pitch before they even went out to bat," he added.

"I wouldn't call their spinners world class, but they turned the ball sharply and Umer and Justin (Bates) couldn't get us into the game after the seamers had opened the door."

Sussex have four games left and Adams is confident his side can bounce back, starting at the Saffrons on Wednesday, and claim a place in the top three.

He added: "I'm obviously disappointed that we lost, but I'm not too downhearted. We're a hardworking side who have bounced back from setbacks before and we can do it again."

The county resume their National League challenge at Worcester tomorrow and will play the same side which beat Lancashire on Monday to win their fourth game out of the last five.

Sussex (v Worcestershire, Sunday 1pm): Montgomerie, Adams, Rashid, Cottey, Zuiderent, House, Martin-Jenkins, Wilton, Kirtley, Taylor, Robinson.