Sussex head for victory

It is rare to find a Lancashire supporter praying for rain at the end of the season. Normally, bad weather in September is enough to dent Lancashire's hopes of a first championship title since 1934, but all Lanky fans will be hoping tonight that it comes down in buckets. In Hove, anyway, where Sussex need to take only five Worcestershire wickets tomorrow on the last day of the season to win another title.

Sussex appear to be the champions elect, but Durham beat Kent with ease today to move to the top of the table and will seal their first title if Sussex don't win. And Lancashire? Well all they need is 462 runs on the last day of the season one of the country's best batting wickets. May as well have a go for it. How wonderful that we can come to the end of a county season and still have three teams in the hunt - and how English that it could all be decided by bad weather.

Many congratulations to Mark Ramprakash, who made his second hundred of the match against Lancashire today, his tenth of the season and went past 2000 runs for the second year in a row. And yet he still won't be named for England's winter tour, poor thing.