The odds of them of claiming a second Championship in three seasons may have lengthened.

But no one seems to have told the Sussex players they are also-rans in the most exciting title race for years.

There was never any danger Peter Moores would allow his or his side's standards to slip in the last few days of his Hove reign and his players clearly are not in the mood to throw in the towel either.

It looked like being a long, hot day in the field when Glamorgan went to lunch on 144-2 after winning the toss yesterday.

But, inspired by Mushtaq Ahmed and James Kirtley, Sussex bowled them out five overs after tea for an under-par 255 on a slow pitch.

In reply, Sussex reached 70-2 from 24 overs. Ian Ward looked in good nick in his first appearance for six weeks after injury, but Richard Montgomerie, who has only passed 50 twice since scoring 184 at Swansea in June, was leg before to Alex Wharf and Mike Yardy chipped a catch to short mid-wicket off Dean Cosker three overs before the close.

Mushtaq had been operating on a surface offering some turn within 45 minutes of the start and it was no surprise that he ended up with his third five-for of the season.

When he wrapped up the innings by bowling David Harrison it was his 70th wicket of the season, one more than Shane Warne and top of the national list.

But the biggest cheer of the day was reserved for Kirtley who claimed his 500th first-class wicket for Sussex when he bowled David Hemp shortly after lunch.

Kirtley's first victim for the county was another Welshman, Tony Cottey, at Swansea in May, 1995. A lot has happened to the 30-year-old in the intervening decade and his bowling action has come under renewed scrutiny in the last week or so.

But the magnificent service he has given the county should never be overlooked.

The sight of Hemp's leg stump cart-wheeling out of the ground to confirm the landmark is a memory which should sustain him during the winter if he has to undergo further remedial work on his action.

Hemp's wicket also means he has taken 50 in the Championship in a season for the seventh time.

Wicket 499 came with the fourth ball of the match when Dan Cherry, who had already struck two glorious cover boundaries, played on and lost his off stump. But, if Sussex thought already relegated Glamorgan were in compliant mood, they were shaken out of their lethargy by Hemp's aggressive strokeplay and grafting contributions from Ryan Watkins and Jonathan Hughes, two of the five youngsters given their debuts by the Welsh county this season.

Watkins miscued a drive in Mushtaq's second over when he was settling down but Hemp and Hughes put on 82 for the third wicket with left-hander Hemp taking advantage of the short boundary to hit Mushtaq into the pavilion three times.

Perhaps Moores reminded his men of their responsibilites over lunch because Sussex seemed to be re-energised.

It helped that Mushtaq broke the partnership with the third ball after the interval when Hughes was leg before sweeping.

There was an inevitability about Glamorgan's demise once Hemp, who made a hundred against Sussex in June and looked in the mood to score another, had departed three overs later.