Leaders Nottinghamshire ease past Sussex inside three days

Needing 148 to win after Sussex were bowled out for 278 in their second innings, Nottinghamshire were home and dry in 25.5 overs after unbeaten half-centuries from skipper Haseen Hameed (62) and England’s Ben Duckett (59), earning 21 points from their second victory of the campaign. A doughty 74 from Sussex captain John Simpson, backed up by off-spinning all-rounder Jack Carson’s 43, kept the home side in the field until lunchtime, but Nottinghamshire looked as it they were no mood to be still playing at tea, completing the job in good time to watch their neighbours from Nottingham Forest take on Manchester City in their FA Cup semi-final later. Farhan Ahmed, their 17-year-old off-spinner, delivered another stand-out display with the ball, taking four for 54, with Australian seamer Fergus O’Neill signing off with three for 74 in his last match for the county.

Nottinghamshire captain Haseeb Hameed said: “We knew it was a big game for us, a top-of-table clash, so it’s really pleasing to come out with a win.

"The way we bowled in that first innings was outstanding. To bowl a team out for 170 is always a good effort regardless of how the pitch is playing.

“And then the way the lower order fought to get us to 300 was massive as well after we had lost a few wickets yesterday morning. For Liam Patterson-White to come in for his first game back was outstanding, with both bat and ball throughout the game.

“We had to work hard for those last wickets even today, when the ball wasn’t doing as much with the sun out. But the way the boys stuck at it was amazing, we didn’t get anywhere really until that new ball was taken and we got our rewards later on.

"We spoke before the season about needing to start well, and to come out and execute our plans the way we wanted to has been great. But we are very aware that it is just the start, there are a lot of games still to play and we are keen to keep doing the right things.”