Downpours aid Sussex's survival

Sussex 178 (Nash 75, Azharullah 6-68) and 145 for 2 (Joyce 60, Nash 53) drew with Northamptonshire 478 for 5 (Rossington 138*, Keogh 75, Duckett 72, Murphy 60*, Terry 54)
Scorecard

Sussex opener Ed Joyce became the leading run-scorer in the second division of the Specsavers County Championship as he helped his side to a draw against Northamptonshire at Arundel.

The county's former captain made 60 in the second innings as Sussex scored 145 for 2 on a fourth day restricted to just 35 overs by torrential downpours.

Joyce's seventh score of over 50 this season took his aggregate to 732 runs while fellow opener Chris Nash isn't far behind on 651 after making 53, his second half-century of the match.

The form of those two were the main consolations for Sussex, who had conceded a first innings deficit of 300 against a Northamptonshire side looking for their first Championship win of the season.

Joyce and Nash gave them a platform by posting 70 without loss overnight and they extended their stand to 110 from 38 overs before Nash was foxed by a ball from offspinner Richard Keogh which turned sharply to hit middle and leg stump for 53.

Just 20 overs were possible before lunch and mopping-up operations after another downpour delayed the resumption until 3.15pm. Northants had largely employed spin until then to get their over rate down and avoid a points deduction but when they returned seamer Ben Sanderson soon worked up an impressive head of steam.

He was rewarded for an excellent spell with the wicket of Joyce for 60, although the batsman can consider himself a bit unlucky to be lbw to a ball which kept a touch low. He faced 133 balls and hit six fours.

Northants employed ultra-attacking fields in search of another breakthrough with Sanderson at one stage bowling to Harry Finch with five slips and a gully in place.

He made the batsman play and miss several times while Finch picked up a fortunate boundary when he ducked into a short ball from Richard Gleeson which flew off his helmet and over the slip cordon to the third man rope.

When rain returned at 4pm he was on 9 and left-hander Luke Wells on 16. Umpires Ben Debenham and Steve O'Shaughnessy abandoned the game as a draw at 4.45pm with Sussex, who are still unbeaten after seven games, taking six points and Northants 13.