Sussex are top of the Championship today after another remarkable performance by their bowlers hurried them to a 41-run win over Nottinghamshire at Hove.

The county appeared to have blown their chance of a third successive victory when they lost their last five second-innings wickets for 13 runs in 9.1 overs.

That left champions Nottinghamshire with a target of 162 and they were on course when openers Jason Gallian and Darren Bicknell negotiated 14 overs without alarm.

But from 32-0 Notts slumped to 120 all out with familiar suspects feasting on unsuspecting opposition batsman once again.

Rana Naved and Jason Lewry harnessed a ball which was reverse-swinging after 20 overs to take seven wickets between them but, not for the first time, Mushtaq Ahmed sparked the turnaround in fortunes.

Gallian was leg before playing back in Mushtaq's third over and, having made the breakthrough, Sussex poured through the breach.

Mushtaq was supposed to have been the key bowling into a dust bowl at the sea end - and he finished with three wickets including the 1200th of his career when he dismissed Notts' last hope Mark Ealham.

But it was Lewry who infused Sussex with the belief that they could win by taking three wickets either side of tea. First Russell Warren was superbly caught by Carl Hopkinson at point and then Bicknell fell leg before to one which reversed late.

Lewry struck again in his first over after the break when David Hussey was leg before not offering a shot.

Lewry gave way to Rana in the 31st over and watched happily from mid on as the brilliant Pakistani continued Notts' torment.

Chris Read and Will Smith put on 28 in six overs for the fifth wicket and no one would have been surprised had Read - public enemy No1 at Hove after his altercation with Mushtaq on Wednesday - made the sort of spiky contribution which has won his side tight games before.

But with the fifth ball of his spell a pumped-up Rana uprooted his off and middle poles with a delivery which hardly bounced.

Paul Franks was bowled off his pads before Smith departed with a suspicious glance at the pitch when he was caught off a leading edge.

Graeme Swann clumped Mushtaq into the pavilion for six but it was a belated act of defiance. Swann lost his leg stump to Rana and it was all over when last man Andy Harris became victim number 1,201 for Mushtaq.

Skipper Chris Adams has seen some remarkable triumphs by his side, particularly since the arrival of Mushtaq, but he admitted this was among the best.

He said: "It was a fantastic performance. To win after only making 143 in the first innings shows the sort of character we have in our side. We kept believing.

"I thought they might struggle to chase 200 so it was a blow when we lost all those wickets after lunch.

"You've always got a chance with guys like Rana and Mushy around. Mushy's brilliant because he gives you that control and Rana and Jason did outstandingly.

"But Carl Hopkinson deserves just as much credit. He played a fantastic innings. It was unbelievably tough because the pitch wasn't easy but he stuck to his guns so well."

Adams is right not to undervalue the contribution of Hopkinson who showed that it was possible to do more than merely survive.

He made a career-best 74 and although disappointed with the way it ended after four-and-a-quarter hours when Swann took a tame return catch, he had no need to reproach himself. Hopkinson and Adams had put on 63 in 28 overs - the highest stand of the match - and after they fell inside five overs Matt Prior and Robin Martin-Jenkins put on 48 in 16 overs to build the lead.

Then it all seemed to be going wrong. Martin-Jenkins was bowled through the gate in the over after lunch, Prior lost his off stump to Hussey's little seamers and Notts wrapped up the innings by taking the last three wickets in 22 balls.

But when you have an attack as good as Sussex's no cause can ever be regarded as lost. Between them Rana (24) and Mushtaq (22) have now taken 46 wickets and Rana's haul has come from three games.

To complete a good day for the county, pitch inspector Phil Sharpe confirmed there would be no further action over a surface on which 18 wickets fell yesterday.

  • Chris Read has been reported to the ECB disciplinary panel following his confrontation with Mushtaq Ahmed at Hove on Wednesday. Read was reported by the umpires for using abusive language toward an opponent.