There was no champagne celebration this time, just a cold beer or two and a feeling of quiet satisfaction.

Ten months on from those golden afternoons when they beat Leicestershire and clinched the 2003 Championship, Sussex finally had another home win to enjoy.

While the innings-and-45-runs demolition of Kent might not go down in club legend, it could be a significant result and performance as they strive to head off the descent from celebration to relegation.

Do not get too carried away. Sussex remain in the bottom three and the Kent side they beat were under-strength.

What really impressed, though, was how the champions combined key individual performances with team-work and a bit of character to build on the encouragement offered by recent performances in one-day cricket.

They still have seven Championship games left in which to build on this result and will expect to be comfortably placed by the time Surrey visit in the final round of games for what neutral observers might be hoping will be a tense cross-border relegation showdown.

The final day's action at the County Ground was all about taking seven wickets to cap the great work carried out over the weekend.

Appropriate then that, when victory was sealed by the dismissal of Amjad Khan, it was thanks to a Tony Cottey slip catch off the bowling of Mark Davis.

Cottey's 185 in his first Championship innings of the season gave Sussex control of this contest, Davis's match figures of 7-101 more than doubled his haul of Championship wickets for the season and helped turn that control into domination.

Director of cricket Peter Moores described Cottey's innings as "a fairytale" and added: "One of the great things as well was seeing Mark Davis come through.

"He has had a really good month playing one-day cricket and to see him bowl well and create a nice pair with Mushtaq is pleasing.

"It was also great to see Matty (Prior) play well, Mushy's bowling really well, James Kirtley is firing and Murray Goodwin is starting to play well.

"The fact Tony Cottey comes in and adds to Chris Adams and Ian Ward, who have been getting scores, all adds to the mix."

As for the mental strength, that was best illustrated by the way Sussex kept going on the first day when, after losing the toss, they looked destined for a long, punishing day in the field.

Reducing Kent from 264-3 to 300-8 on the opening afternoon was key to this win and a massive confidence-booster.

By the time the action got underway, it was more a question of when, rather than if, Sussex would score that much-needed win.

Mohammad Akram gave them the start they needed when he sent back Michael Carberry, who gloved to Richard Montgomerie at slip.

Mushtaq wheeled away for 12 overs from the Cromwell Road End before Davis, who had stressed the need for patience on the final day, replaced him and took just four balls to break through.

He totally outwitted young Alex Loudon's charge down the wicket, then set off on a celebratory trot reminiscent of that performed by Mushtaq when he claimed his 100th wicket last season.

Mushtaq will not hit three figures this time but he has moved on to 37 for the Championship campaign.

He had Matt Walker caught at short leg and Min Patel trapped playing back before lunch, then profited from a stunning one-handed, diving catch by Kirtley when Ian Butler's miscued drive sailed towards extra cover.

Niall O'Brien's attempt to use his feet to defend against Davis resulted in him being stumped by Prior. Now Sussex will hope this winning feeling becomes as familiar as it was 12 months ago.