Michael Bevan struck a glittering 174 to become the 13th Sussex player to score a century in each innings as his side set Nottinghamshire 407 to win at Hove.

The Australian Test Ace shared in a second-wicket stand of 266 with Richard Montgomerie, who fell five short of his second hundred of the match.

Bevan's century was his third in succession following on from his 151 not out against Essex at Arundel and 166 in the first innings.

His highest score for Sussex came at a run a ball and contained 22 fours and two sixes. He has now totalled 1,667 runs in all cricket this season.

After reaching his 46th first- class century off 136 deliveries, Bevan stormed to 150 off only 30 more balls.

Montgomerie looked set to reach his century when, having compiled eight fours off 163 balls, he attempted to sweep spinner Usman Afzaal and lobbed a catch to wicket keeper Chris Read.

Montgomerie's dismissal was a particular disappointment as, had he reached his century, it would have been only the second time in England that the same two batsmen had hit hundreds in the same match.

This has happened only three times in history and the only ones to achieve it in England were the Foster brothers for Worcestershire against Hampshire in 1899.

Bevan's innings ended when he drove Afzaal to skipper Jason Galleon at short extra cover, and Sussex declared leaving Notts seven awkward overs to face.

Openers Darren Bicknell and Guy Welton safely negotiated them to close on 19 without loss.

The stand between Bevan and Montgomerie was their second superb partnership in the match, the pair having put on 292 for the same wicket in the first innings.

Once again it came after Toby Peirce's early dismissal, Peirce out for a duck being trapped leg before by David Millns.

James Kirtley earlier claimed his second six-wicket haul in the last three innings as Notts, resuming 232 behind, were bowled out for 344 shortly after lunch.

Kirtley grabbed five of the last seven wickets for 37 in a dozen overs as the visitors just managed to avoid the follow on.

Notts' prospects of making the 323 required appeared slim after Kirtley produced a spell of 3-16 in six overs to reduce them to 265-8.

But Andrew Harris and Read then put on 59 in 19 overs before Kirtley came back to remove Harris just before lunch.

Harris's 73-ball vigil ended when he holed out to square leg, and Kirtley polished off the innings by bowling last man Richard Stemp to leave Read unbeaten on 38.

Kirtley's haul puts him three ahead of Jason Lewry as Sussex's leading wicket-taker in the championship with 32, and he struck first by having John Morris caught behind with only one added to his overnight score.

Morris rashly attempted to drive and Paul Johnson also got himself out by cracking a long hop from Lewry to square leg.

Afzaal, resuming on 35, had moved to 43 when he shouldered arms to Kirtley and was leg before and Kirtley struck again in his next over as Millns also went lbw.

Umpire Jeremy Lloyds decision was a controversial one as Millns appeared well forward and the pace bowler appeared unhappy.

The Notts slide continued as Aussie Test fast bowler Paul Reiffel was caught behind off Lewry, but Harris and Read showed up some of their colleagues shortcomings with a disciplined stand as Sussex gained a first-innings lead of 128.