Carl Hopkinson has played himself into the Sussex side for the Championship finale after scoring his maiden hundred for the county.

Hopkinson, who celebrated his 26th birthday on Friday, made an unbeaten 123 against Nottinghamshire in the Pro40 League at Hove yesterday.

It came in a losing cause as the Sharks fell nine runs short of the Outlaws' formidable 274-7 as Nottinghamshire claimed runners-up spot and won £22,00 in prizemoney.

But it was some statement from Hopkinson who came in during the eighth over and nearly played a match-winning innings.

He added 111 in 17 overs with Richard Montgomerie, whose 61 was his sixth one-day half-century of the season, and then 84 in 11 with Andrew Hodd to give Sussex a chance of achieving what would have been their record 40 overs chase.

He reached his hundred with his 12th four, a delicate sweep off Ryan Sidebottom, and added three more boundaries, his runs coming off just 99 balls.

But the departure of Hodd in the 36th over stalled Sussex's momentum and 20 runs off the last over proved beyond them even though Hopkinson smacked two more fours off Andre Adams.

His return to form could not have been better timed with injuries threatening to wreck Sussex's bid to retain the Championship.

They were already missing ten players yesterday when skipper Chris Adams split the webbing on his right index finger in the gully and needed two stitches in hospital.

When Martin-Jenkins briefly left the field, Sussex only had one capped player on the pitch in acting skipper Montgomerie and two substitutes from the Academy - Will Beer and Michael Gould, whose father Ian was umpiring and looked on with unabashed pride when his son held an excellent catch in the deep to dismiss Stephen Fleming.

At least the raft of absentees allowed Chris Liddle and Hopkinson to press their claims for a place against Worcestershire and for coach Mark Robinson to cast his eye over some of his youngsters.

Fast bowler Rageb Aga, who played two Champions Trophy games for Kenya in 2004, Michael Thornely and Ben Brown all made their Pro40 debuts after helping the second team win the Championship last week while Liddle and left-arm spinner Tom Smith made their first Pro40 appearances of the season.

Aga and Liddle were expensive, particularly with the new ball, but Aga had the consolation of a first wicket at this level when Will Jefferson played on and Liddle finished with three wickets and is almost certain to form a left-arm new-ball pairing with Lewry on Wednesday.

With so few options, Montgomerie gave Chris Nash eight overs and he the off-spinner was Sussex's most economical bowler, claiming the key wicket of Fleming after the Outlaws' skipper had made a run-a-ball 58.

Acceleration down the order came from Mark Wagh (77 off 72 balls) and Samit Patel (72 off 61) and Nottinghamshire plundered 92 runs off the last ten overs.

Chris Nash launched the reply with a quickfire 21, including a six off Sidebottom, but Brown lasted three balls on his debut after an impressive performance behind the stumps earlier in the day.

Hopkinson's footwork and placement were exemplary and if Hodd had not sliced to backward point when well set Sussex might have squeezed home.

Nevertheless, it was an afternoon when there were plenty of positives - not least Hopkinson's coming of age.