Highlights from day four
Lancashire are facing relegation from LV= County Championship Division One for the second time in three years after they lost by seven wickets to Sussex at the BrightonandHoveJobs.com County Ground.
The home side banished any fears they might be dragged into a relegation battle by chasing a target of 251 in 59 overs with 12.3 overs to spare, with skipper Ed Joyce, Chris Nash and Craig Cachopa all making half-centuries.
Sussex's fifth win moved them up to fourth place but Lancashire remain second from bottom, 12 points behind Middlesex.
The sides meet at Old Trafford in their final championship match of the season but Middlesex have a game in hand against Somerset at Taunton starting on Monday.
Having been dismissed for 364 in their second innings, Lancashire needed quick wickets but with Tom Smith unable to bowl because of back spasms and the pitch still relatively placid, they struggled to make inroads.
James Anderson sent down 12 testing overs in two spells either side of tea and he did pick up Luke Wells in the ninth over when the left-hander was caught at second slip trying to evade a bouncer that struck him on the glove.
Wicket Watch:Joyce bowled by Croft http://t.co/ezLS7c7m8L
— Lancashire CCC (@LancsCCC) September 12, 2014
But Nash and Joyce added 76 for the second wicket with the former rewarded for his positive approach with his second half-century of the match. He made 57 before he was caught behind when Simon Kerrigan got one to turn and bounce.
After that Sussex accelerated smoothly, Joyce and Cachopa adding 47 in five overs at one stage to bring the target in range.
Both reached their fifties by hitting Kerrigan's left-arm spin for six in a third-wicket stand of 105 in 20 overs and Sussex needed just 44 when Steven Croft bowled Joyce around his legs for 79.
Cachopa hit the winning boundary off Luke Proctor to finish unbeaten on 78 from 86 balls with nine fours and three sixes.
Earlier, Lancashire had extended their second innings until 25 minutes after lunch but in trying to accelerate the pace they lost wickets regularly.
Croft and Jos Buttler showed their intent by adding 74 in 12 overs at the start of the day before Buttler was well caught by Chris Jordan, who sprinted 30 yards to intercept his slog across the line and Croft fell for 87.
Sussex have beaten Lancashire by seven wickets.... GOOD OLD SUSSEX BY THE SEA!!! #GOSBTS
— Sussex CCC (@SussexCCC) September 12, 2014
Smith had to retire hurt but returned to the crease at the fall of the last wicket after Anderson had been yorked by Jordan, who finished with 4-82.
Lancashire captain Glen Chapple believes his side still have a chance of avoiding the drop, but admits they are looking for Somerset to do them a favour when they play relegation rivals Middlesex next week.
He said: "If it came down to us needing to beat Middlesex in the last game then I'd fancy us because we're playing good cricket generally at the moment. Hopefully Somerset will put in a really strong performance against them next week.
"But we've made mistakes and they keep costing us. Here, we should have got more than 320 in the first innings. I thought for the first hour today we were excellent and laid a platform to set them a decent target on a very good cricket wicket, but we lost wickets at crucial times.
"They only needed four an over which probably gave us a 40 per cent chance. In the end it wasn't enough but I'd rather go down with a fight than die wondering."
Sussex skipper Joyce was delighted with a win which lifts them into fourth place and gives them a chance of a top-three finish with two games to go.
He said: "My worry was we might struggle as we hadn't played for three weeks so I'm delighted that we have banished any relegation worries. We can start looking up the table again.
"It was crucial to get the lead we did on first innings. It wasn't an easy chase because although it was a very good wicket one or two balls were starting to keep very low, but we went about it really positively."