There was no man of the match award as Sussex won the second XI Trophy for the first time in their history but there is no doubt who would have won it had there been one.

Chris Nash enjoyed the perfect day on his home ground at Horsham as the county cruised to a six-wicket win over Nottinghamshire in a one-sided final yesterday.

The 22-year-old took 2-21 in four overs with his off-breaks and then made a match-winning 72 not out.

Alongside Mike Yardy, Nash has been the most improved players on the Sussex staff and will get an extended contract at the end of the season.

He has scored heavily in second team cricket and made mountains of runs for Horsham as well, not least in the National Club Championship final at Lords a fortnight ago when he made 59 in the victory over Barnt Green.

He said: "No one wants to get to finals and lose so to win two in the last two weeks is sensational, especially as weve won this one on my home ground. I thought we did well in the field to restrict them to 212 and then Richard Montgomerie played a great innings and allowed me to come in and play my shots."

Sussexs bowlers clawed things back impressively in the last 15 overs when they took six wickets for 73 to restrict Notts to 212-9 from their 50 overs.

Montgomerie and Luke Wright had 73 on the board after 11 overs of the reply but Samit Patel put a few doubts in Sussex minds when he removed Wright, Carl Hopkinson and Tim Ambrose in successive overs with his left-arm spin.

But Montgomerie could not have had a better partner to negotiate the next few crucial overs than Nash, who knows every blade of grass at Cricketfield Road. They put on 106 in 23 overs for the fourth wicket and, even when Montgomerie departed for 88, Sussex were pretty much home and dry.

Sussexs Jeremy Green delivered with the new ball by removing openers Will Smith and Anurag Singh.

Sussex would have been in command had Wright not dropped Mierkalns on 25. The South African survived to put on 91 in 25 overs with Patel (53) before off-spinner Ollie Rayner deceived him.

Meirkens top-scored with 69 before mis-timing a drive off Nash and after that Hopkinson, Rayner and Nash all profited as Nottinghamshire lost wickets trying to force the pace.

Notts turned to Patel after just 11 overs of the reply and he soon had Sussex hearts fluttering.

He dipped one in the flight to have Wright leg before wicket before Hopkinson lost his off stump to a ball which turned sharply and Ambrose played on immediately after Montgomerie had reached a run-a-ball 50.

Montgomerie and Nash initially took few risks even when Patel came off but there were enough bad balls to hit.

Their first 50 runs together came off 14 overs, the next 50 off nine and it looked as if they would see Sussex home together when Montgomerie mis-timed a drive and was caught at cover, his 88 coming off 114 balls with nine fours. Only 21 runs were needed at that stage and Nash finished on 72 off 85 balls with seven fours before the celebrations began.

Ian Ward returns to Sussexs Championship side today. The former Surrey opener has missed the last five games after tearing a groin muscle against Gloucestershire at the end of July. He said: "The side have been playing great cricket for a while now and to go into September almost promoted in one competition and still in with a chance of winning the Championship is a real achievement. I want to play my part in the last few weeks." Ward replaces Carl Hopkinson against Glamorgan at Hove (10.30am).