Coach Peter Moores hailed an "outstanding" performance by the Sussex batsmen who batted through five sessions to save the Championship game against Kent at Hove.

Centuries from Murray Goodwin and Tim Ambrose laid the foundations while Matt Prior scored his fifth fifty in the last eight innings and Kevin Innes his maiden half-century for the county as Sussex were bowled out for 450 in their second innings just before tea on Saturday.

It left Kent needing 247 to win in 33 overs and for a few minutes it looked as if Sussex might pull off a sensational win.

Robin Martin-Jenkins removed David Fulton and Ed Smith in the first over and in the fourth over Andrew Symonds was caught on the square leg boundary off Billy Taylor to leave the visitors 17-3.

Jason Lewry pinned Rob Key and had Matthew Walker caught behind to reduce Kent to 58-5, but there were only 12 overs left at that stage and the teams shook hands seven overs later.

Moores said: "It was an outstanding effort considering how far we were behind the eight-ball after two days. It will give the side a lot of confidence.

"Every draw in Division One feels like half a win because it is so tight. We have shown fight and not lost ground."

Only the most staunch Sussex supporter could have imagined it would be Kent who ended the game backed into a corner when their side began their second innings on Thursday trailing by 204.

But Goodwin and Ambrose resumed on Saturday with their second centuries of the season secured and there was plenty of resistance once again from the lower order.

Ambrose was caught off a top edge after hitting 16 fours in his 251-ball 124 before off-spinner Min Patel struck twice. Robin Martin-Jenkins was caught behind and Goodwin, whose 135 came off 317 balls with 12 boundaries, taken at slip.

The Sussex lead was 132, but Prior and Innes put on 64 in 21 overs with confident Prior hitting eight fours.

Mark Davis and Billy Taylor went in successive overs, but Innes and Jason Lewry frustrated Kent for 12 overs.

Sussex dropped a place to sixth.

SCORES: Sussex 145 (Khan 6-56) and 450 (Goodwin 135, Ambrose 124, Innes 56, Prior 53); Kent 349 (Smith 141not out, Khan 58) and 85-5. Match drawn: Sussex 7pts, Kent 10.