Nash ton puts Sussex on top

Chris Nash secured his maiden first-class hundred for Sussex before they lost their last seven wickets for 83 as Lancashire clawed their way back into their LV County Championship Division One clash at Old Trafford.

Nash notched three figures for the first time in his 70th innings, finishing with 108 as Sussex crumbled from a position of strength at 233 for three to 316 all out on the second day of the match.

Sussex still gained a first innings lead of 110 as they replied to the home side’s below-par 206 on a spin-friendly track.

But the hosts should have been well and truly out of this clash until a whole host of rash shots gifted Lancashire a way back in.

Left-arm spinner Gary Keedy did not have one of his best days with the ball but still managed to claim the wickets of Chris Adams and Ollie Rayner to become the 30th Lancashire bowler to reach 500 first-class wickets.

Steven Croft claimed the wickets of Nash and Matt Prior, who added a breezy 73, to start the rot for Sussex.

And South African Francois Du Plessis picked up a wicket with his occasional leg-spin after he had earlier run-out Carl Hopkinson.

Chris Nash's maiden first-class century put Sussex in command against Lancashire

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Nash and Prior rescued Sussex from 108 for three with a fourth-wicket partnership of 125.

Dominic Cork, on his 37th birthday, Sajid Mahmood and Glen Chapple picked up the wickets of Mark Thornely, Luke Wright and Murray Goodwin.

But Nash and Prior batted for 30 overs to seemingly put Sussex in a position of great strength with Prior in attacking mood and Nash just happy to dig in.

Nash, 25, reached his ton off 188 balls with 13 fours but was trapped lbw to Croft at 233 for four.

Prior went shortly after when he was smartly caught by Du Plessis at point having faced 98 balls and hit eleven boundaries.

Hopkinson was run-out by the combination of Du Plessis and wicketkeeper Luke Sutton as Adams was trapped in front by Keedy who also had Rayner caught at mid-on by Chapple.

When Mushtaq Ahmed was caught by Croft, off Du Plessis, Sussex had lost four wickets for 10 runs in seven overs.

But Robin Martin-Jenkins and number 11 Jason Lewry at least shared a valuable 10th-wicket stand of 40 to frustrate Lancashire.

Martin-Jenkins was dropped on three by Chapple on the boundary but went on to finish 27 not out while Lewry was finally bowled by Cork for 15.

Cork and Croft shared the honours as the best Lancashire bowlers with 2-37 from 15.3 overs and 2-38 from 14 respectively.

Martin-Jenkins gave Sussex a late boost with the wicket of Lou Vincent caught at first slip by Rayner as Lancashire closed on nine for one - still 101 runs behind.