Sussex are breathing hard down the necks of first division leaders Surrey after reeling off their fourth successive Championship win at Grace Road.

After Mushtaq Ahmed had claimed his third ten-wicket haul of the season, the county knocked off their target of 163 for the loss of five wickets, the run chase underpinned by Tony Cottey's 58.

Just five points now seperate the top two and while the 'c' word might still be banned in the Sussex dressing room, there is no doubt that the county are emerging as the only serious threat to Surrey's bid for fourth Championship in the last five years, especially after third-placed Lancashire had to settle for a draw in their game with Kent.

The house full notices probably won't be needed when Adam Hollioake brings his side to Hove at the end of the month, but it will still be arguably the most important Championship game the county have played since Nottinghamshire squeezed John Barclay's side into second place in 1981, an achievement Sussex are at least on course to emulate.

Nothing will be decided over those four days, but if Sussex were to repeat last season's win over their old rivals they will be in a great position to claim that elusive first Championship.

It was no surprise that the architects of their sixth victory of the season were Mushtaq Ahmed and Cottey.

Mushtaq took two more wickets on the final day's play to give him match figures of 10-189, the third time he has claimed ten or more in an innings this season.

Having already bowled 484 Championship overs this season, the temptation now must be to keep him in cotton wool and it would be a wise move were Sussex to restrict his limited overs appearances in the second half of the summer.

With James Kirtley in with a chance of finally making his Test debut next week and Jason Lewry struggling with a pinched rib, the county's strength in depth looks like being tested at Trent Bridge.

Cottey, meanwhile, will head there needing 137 runs to complete 1,000 in a season for the eighth time and only a fool would bet against him doing it in just one visit to the crease.

He followed up his 147 in the first innings against Leicestershire with 58 which took his aggregate from his last five innings to 598 runs. Along the way he struck seven fours and a six before he was bowled trying to cut Rupesh Amin's slow left-arm when just five were needed.

Cottey steadied any nerves there may have been when Sussex set off in pursuit of what looked a tricky target, although he had to overcome a shaky start when he could easily have been out to any of the first three deliveries he faced from David Masters, who had a leg before shout and an equally confident appeal for a catch at the wicket turned down.

Sussex wisely adopted a positive approach to their run chase, perhaps too positive in the case of Murray Goodwin who chopped onto his stumps chasing a delivery from Masters well outside his off stump.

Richard Montgomerie was bowled trying to drag a ball outside off stump from Amin through square while skipper Chris Adams could do little about the pea-roller from Darren Maddy which trapped him in front, although, in fairness to Adams, he played as well as he had at any time all season.

Sussex still needed 67 when he departed, but Cottey and Tim Ambrose took their side to the brink of victory by adding 62 in 12 overs after tea before Jeremy Snape deceived Ambrose with his arm ball when he was belatedly brought into the attack.

For an hour at the start of the day Sussex looked as if they might be frustrated by the resolve of Leicestershire veteran Trevor Ward.

The former Kent batsman helped Snape extend the sixth wicket stand to 63 from 24 overs and neither player looked in any trouble even though Mushtaq had started to turn the ball sharply out of the rough.

Ward must have been pleased to mark his return to the side with a first half-century of the season, which included six boundaries, but his mood quickly changed when umpire Peter Hartley had upheld Mushtaq's cacophinous appeal for a catch at silly point.

Once he had trudged off Ward could be seen swatting a giant training ball across the home dressing room. Sussex had their breakthrough and they made the most of it.

Robin Martin-Jenkins' perseverence was rewarded when he struck twice in successive overs with the score on 234. DeFreitas was caught at cover off a checked drive and Masters gloved a brutish lifter to Tim Ambrose.

Before lunch Snape was run out by Martin-Jenkins' laser-guided throw from short fine leg attempting a reckless run when Charlie Dagnall turned Mushtaq into the leg side.

Dagnall and Amin detained Sussex for six overs, adding 21 before Dagnall became Mushtaq's 65th victim of the season, caught off a big-spinning leg break which took a deflection via Ambrose's gloves on its way through to slip.

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