Sussex eased safely past their follow-on target against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge yesterday thanks to a century by opener Richard Montgomerie.

After Nottinghamshire had scraped a fourth batting point before their innings closed on 351, Montgomerie stood firm for the visitors and played some fine shots square of the wicket to bring up his ton from 157 balls.

It was the 29-year-old's second century of the season following up the 133 and 95 he scored earlier this year against the same opponents when the two sides met at Hove.

He will resume unbeaten on 116 with his team still 116 adrift of Nottinghamshire's first innings total, with four wickets remaining.

Montgomerie took the anchor role for Sussex just as Darren Bicknell had done for their opponents on the first day.

Bicknell, who resumed on 139 after carrying his bat through day one, added just five before he gave Jason Lewry his third five-wicket haul this year by slicing a drive to Tony Cottey at backward point.

Left-armer Lewry then wrapped up the innings to finish with six for 89 by tempting Andrew Harris to prod a short ball to Chris Adams at second slip.

Chasing 202 to avoid the follow-on, Sussex started badly losing Michael Yardy before he had scored to a slip catch by Jason Gallian.

Michael Bevan entered the fray with four scores above 150 in his last five first class innings behind him and he and Montgomerie immediately got the scoreboard moving.

The pair put on 67 before, in the 20th over, Bevan played back and was beaten by a ball from Harris that moved off the seam and hit middle stump.

In his next over, Harris watched his first ball crash through the covers off Chris Adams' bat but forced the skipper to edge his next to Paul Johnson at third slip.

Montgomerie hit three fours from consecutive balls to take Sussex past 100 and himself past 50.

Cottey lost his off stump without offering a stroke and when Robin Martin-Jenkins went soon after for just 14, Sussex were still 63 short of avoiding following-on.

Montgomerie, in form Umer Rashid and Nick Wilton steadied matters before bad light forced a premature halt.