Sussex comfortably played out a draw on the final day of their County Championship clash with Nottinghamshire at Hove.

With rain washing out the morning session it meant Sussex were never likely to chase the 405 runs they required to win.

They still needed to survive a possible72 overs to avoid defeat, however, but half centuries from Chris Nash and Luke Wells ensured there were few alarms.

Both openers did fall but Rory Hamilton-Brown and Matt Prior saw Sussex to 198-2 when the teams shook hands on a draw at 5pm.

It was their fourth draw in a row and left them in fifth place in division one, 19 points behind leaders Middlesex, ahead of their trip to Somerset on Sunday.

Although the chances of bowling Sussex out on a very good batting wicket were always slim the home team still needed to bat sensibly.

Nash and Wells ensured there would be no final day nerves as they put on 161 for the opening wicket.

Nash passed 8,000 first class runs when he reached 39 and Wells recorded his own milestone of 3,000 runs when he got to 45, although he was fortunate to be dropped by Phil Jacques the ball before off Samit Patel.

Wells was the first to reach his half century, coming off 80 balls with six fours, with Nash following him soon after from four more deliveries and the same number of boundaries.

Both fell when Stuart Broad was brought back into the attack after tea. Wells had his middle stump knocked out of the ground by the England bowler having made 73 while Nash was caught behind for 86.

It meant Prior got a bit more time in the middle as he bids to prove his fitness ahead of the first Test and he was unbeaten on 19 at the end with Hamilton-Brown on 12.