Nash on song at Hove

Chris Nash continued his fine form with a century as he held Sussex's batting together on the first day of their match against Nottinghamshire.

The opener, who made 98 and 84 in last week's draw with Worcestershire, scored 128 in the LV= County Championship Division One clash at Hove - his 11th first-class hundred - and, when he was putting on 145 in 39 overs with Luke Wright (81), Sussex were in the ascendancy.

But they then lost three wickets in five overs before Naveed Arif, with an unbeaten 24, guided the tail to a third batting point as Sussex closed on 305 for nine.

Nash rode his luck and was twice dropped by Adam Voges at slip when he had scored 26 and 82, but there was also much to admire in his footwork and placement against both the seamers and Nottinghamshire's sole spinner Samit Patel.

He lost opening partner Ed Joyce early when the left-hander was caught at backward point driving loosely at Ben Phillips, but Nash and Joe Gatting settled down to add 39 for the second wicket before Sussex lost three wickets, two of them cheaply, in six overs either side of lunch.

Gatting wasted a promising start when he miscued a drive at Patel's fifth ball and Michael Lumb raced in off the extra cover boundary to take a diving catch. The out-of-form Murray Goodwin then registered his seventh single-figure score of the summer as Voges took an outstanding diving catch at second slip off Andre Adams.

Skipper Michael Yardy was run out off the first ball of the afternoon when he took on Rikki Wessels and was beaten by the throw from mid-wicket as he turned for a second run.

Sussex were 97 for four but Nash and Wright, who had made a hundred in the CB40 game against Yorkshire last night, soon picked up the pace.

Wright had a slice of luck on 26 when a ball from Andy Carter hit the off stump but failed to dislodge the bail, while Nash was soon celebrating his century, made off 144 balls with 14 fours.

Wright occasionally played some skittish shots but he put away the bad ball as he lodged his first Championship half-century since last June.

Nottinghamshire stuck it at, though, and were rewarded after tea.

Nash played on to Harry Gurney after over four hours at the crease and Patel picked up his second wicket courtesy of Adams' good catch at short mid-wicket when Wright had made 81, including 11 fours.

Patel got one to turn and bounce as Ben Brown edged to slip and before the close Steve Magoffin was taken at point and James Anyon caught off a mistimed pull from the penultimate ball of the day.