Sussex's next two matches will decide whether they can challenge for a second Championship in three years.

The county head to Lord's today to face Middlesex before playing another of their rivals Warwickshire at Edgbaston next week.

Director of cricket Peter Moores believes three wins from their remaining four games could bring the pennant back to Hove with current leaders Kent due to face Sussex there in the final match of the season.

"It's boiling up very nicely," said Moores. "If someone had offered us second in the Championship and top of the totesport in the middle of August we would have taken it.

"We've got a fighting chance of winning the Championship but the next two games are huge for us.

"If we win them it knocks Middlesex and Warwickshire out of the equation.

"We're playing good cricket at the moment after winning two in a row and there is a lot of confidence in the side."

Sussex are expected to field the team which beat Gloucestershire with a day to spare last week, although Luke Wright will come into contention if he passes a fitness test after a week out with a pinched nerve in his side.

Even if he comes through, Sussex will probably retain off-spinner Mark Davis because of the number of left-handers in Middlesex's top order.

Sussex (probable): Hopkinson, Montgomerie, Yardy, Goodwin, Adams, Prior, Martin-Jenkins, Rana Naved, Davis, Mushtaq Ahmed, Kirtley.

Second Test Match Bulawayo: Zimbabwe 231 (Taibu 76, Bond 6-51) v New Zealand 48-2.

Frizzell County Championship division one, Trent Bridge: Warwickshire 156 (Harris 4-41, Sidebottom 4-41) & 107-3 v Nottinghamshire 514 (Hussey 232 no, Read 89, Brown 5-128).

The Rose Bowl: Kent 446 (Stevens 101,Key 88, Kemp 69, Patel 54 no, Bichel 4-122) & 185 v Hampshire 325 (Bichel 87, Pothas 74 no, Ervine 74) & 241-8 (Ervine 69) Hampshire (10pts) drew with Kent (12pts).

Division two Riverside: Durham 315 (Hussey 146, Masters 6-74, Willoughby 4-92) & 103-2 (Hussey 61 no) v Leicestershire 443 (Mongia 164, Robinson 73, Ackerman 61, Breese 5-91) Durham (10pts) drew with Leicestershire (12pts)

totesport League division one, Lord's Northamptonshire Steelbacks 261-6 v Middlesex Crusaders 247-9 (Weekes 111) Northamptonshire won by 14 runs.