If Warwickshire, or more realistically Sussex, do end up missing out on the Championship title by a handful of points, they may well reflect on this match as the defining moment of their campaign

Sussex battled to set up a fourth-day run chase after Jeetan Patel's punchy innings gave Warwickhshire a lead but the absence of Monty Panesar may yet prove telling

For all the talk of youth development and home-grown talent, sometimes there is much to be said for a fresh start.

It is, perhaps, a sign of the times that, just as the County Championship season should be reaching a peak, the demands on its resources are at their greatest. Maurice Chambers' loan signing demonstrated so.