It proved an apposite theme for Yorkshire and Sussex, who secured their First Division status on the final day of a season that kept spectators guessing right to the end.

The decisive moment came not when the teams shook hands at 4.20pm, however, with the match having concluded as a draw in glorious sunshine, but at 11.40am, when favourable word arrived from Canterbury.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to inform you that Kent have lost to Durham by an innings and 71 runs," enthused Sussex's match day announcer. "As I'm sure you're all aware, that means Sussex and Yorkshire will both be playing in the First Division of the County Championship next summer."

Cue warm applause from the 1,500 crowd.

In truth, Kent's fate had looked signed and sealed from the moment they failed to pick up a crucial third and final bowling point on Friday afternoon, and so severe was their predicament going into Saturday's finale that it would have taken something quite remarkable to relegate Yorkshire or Sussex.

Neither side would have been inclined to count their chickens, however, during a campaign that has contained more twists and turns than a country road and served as a splendid advert for a much-maligned Championship.

Contrary to what the doom-and-gloom merchants may say, the competition is alive and kicking – albeit as much of a marketing man's nightmare as it is a traditionalist's nirvana.

Having secured their First Division status, which represented a quite remarkable achievement given they had been 80-6 in their first innings before recovering to 400-9 declared, Yorkshire would dearly love to have rounded off their season with a victory that such spirited resilience undoubtedly merited.

But they lacked the cutting edge to finish the job as Sussex rallied in weather more evocative of the first week in August than the last week in September, with the skies above Hove a deep and dreamy blue.

At lunch, Sussex were 248-6 – effectively 55-6 – and should really have been killed off from that position only to hoist themselves to the unlikely heights of 397-9 declared as Yorkshire steadily ran out of ideas – and, perhaps, a little inclination knowing they had already done what they had set out to achieve: namely, avoid relegation.

Naturally enough, there were celebrations in both dressing rooms after the game, although the wider picture showed Yorkshire and Sussex each managed only two victories during the course of the season – the lowest total to guarantee survival since the introduction of two-divisional cricket in 2000.

A win would have seen Yorkshire finish sixth as opposed to seventh, thereby equalling their efforts of 2007, and the league table highlighted the fact that, yet again, there is serious room for improvement in Yorkshire's four-day output.

If anyone deserved to be on the winning side in this fixture it was Adil Rashid, who top-scored with a career-best 111, took 7-136 in the Sussex second innings and captured nine wickets in the match overall.

It was a tremendous all-round performance by the livewire leg-spinner, who twirled his way through 30 overs unchanged after beginning proceedings on Saturday from the Sea End.

Having already claimed the wicket of Chris Nash the previous evening, Rashid added a further four wickets during the latter half of the morning session after Yorkshire were initially frustrated by Michael Yardy and Murray Goodwin.

The experienced pair accumulated diligently in favourable batting conditions and offered not the slightest suggestion of a chance during the first hour's play.

But then Yardy turned a ball from Rashid firmly to short-leg, where Andrew Gale dangled out a right hand and took a stunning reflex catch, which seemed to revive the fielding side as surely as a drinks break.

Suddenly, there was an extra spring in Rashid's step and ripples of concern in the Sussex ranks, which only swelled when Rashid claimed another wicket three overs later when Matt Prior sliced to point.

Chris Adams, in his final innings as captain and clearly determined to go out with a bang after bagging a duck the previous day, attempted to seize control by launching Rashid for two towering leg-side sixes that sent the seagull population diving for cover.

Adams also struck David Wainwright for a straight six in the direction of the pin-striped deckchairs at the Cromwell Road end before perishing in an effort to land another maximum off Rashid, Steve Patterson judging a good catch running in from a deep-ish mid-off. Rashid picked up his fifth wicket on the stroke of lunch when Luke Wright was adjudged lbw, but the wrist-spinner was frustrated for long periods by the masterful Goodwin.

The Zimbabwean progressed to a sixth Championship hundred of the summer from 147 balls with 11 fours before becoming Rashid's sixth victim, caught off the back of his bat by Jacques Rudolph at slip as he attempted to sweep.

Wainwright had Ollie Rayner caught behind on the stroke of tea, after which Rashid changed ends and claimed his final wicket when Robin Martin-Jenkins was lbw following a gritty and technically-impressive 56, made from 127 balls with six fours.

Another wicket would have given Rashid career-best figures with the ball to go with his career-best performance with the bat, but he could be more than satisfied with his part in ensuring Yorkshire remain a First Division club.


DISPLAY OF THE DAY

Adil Rashid

After making 111, his first century of the summer, to help Yorkshire from 80-6 to 400-9 declared, the leg-spinner took 7-136 from 45 overs in the Sussex second innings to avert the threat of Championship relegation. Although Rashid took the honours, mention must also be made of left-arm spinner David Wainwright, whose maiden century in the first innings was vital.


Yorkshire First-Class Batting Averages

Batsman M I No Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St

JA Rudolph 16 24 1 1292 155 56.17 5 6 24 0

AW Gale 15 23 0 899 150 39.08 3 3 9 0

A Shahzad 1 1 0 35 35 35.00 0 0 0 0

A McGrath 14 21 0 728 144 34.66 2 3 11 0

TT Bresnan 14 20 5 506 84* 33.73 0 2 9 0

DJ Wainwright 4 6 1 165 104* 33.00 1 0 2 0

A Lyth 14 21 0 645 132 30.71 1 5 11 0

GJ Kruis 10 14 8 183 50* 30.50 0 1 2 0

GL Brophy 16 24 1 546 70 23.73 0 4 43 6

AU Rashid 16 24 2 516 111 23.45 1 2 6 0

MP Vaughan 6 9 0 210 72 23.33 0 1 3 0

CR Taylor 4 6 0 123 48 20.50 0 0 1 0

Naved-ul-Hasan 7 10 3 114 22 16.28 0 0 3 0

RM Pyrah 5 6 0 96 51 16.00 0 1 5 0

D Gough 8 11 1 148 34 14.80 0 0 4 0

SA Patterson 4 5 2 36 17 12.00 0 0 1 0

MJ Hoggard 13 17 6 126 28* 11.45 0 0 2 0

JJ Sayers 6 9 0 76 22 8.44 0 0 6 0

BW Sanderson 2 2 1 6 6 6.00 0 0 0 0

M Morkel 1 2 0 8 8 4.00 0 0 0 0

GS Ballance 1 2 0 6 5 3.00 0 0 0 0

OJ Hannon-Dalby 1 1 0 1 1 1.00 0 0 0 0


Yorkshire First-Class Bowling Averages



Bowler O M R Wkts Ave Best 5w 10w SR

A Shahzad 24 7 64 3 21.33 2-43 0 0 48.00

MJ Hoggard 342.5 66 103 42 24.69 6-5 1 0 48.97

SA Patterson 97.1 23 279 11 25.36 3-19 0 0 53.00

TT Bresnan 421 76 1278 45 28.40 5-94 1 0 56.13

AU Rashid 590.1 64 1886 62 30.41 7-107 4 0 57.11

DJ Wainwright 85.1 18 246 8 30.75 3-9 0 0 63.87

A McGrath 100.1 16 282 9 31.33 2-27 0 0 66.77

M Morkel 15.2 4 33 1 33.00 1-33 0 0 92.00

Naved-ul-Hasan 153.1 21 606 16 37.87 4-86 0 0 57.43

GJ Kruis 295.3 68 903 22 41.04 5-47 1 0 80.59

D Gough 149 25 528 9 58.66 2-34 0 0 99.33

JA Rudolph 21.2 2 74 1 74.00 1-13 0 0 128.00

A Lyth 30.1 5 105 1 105.00 1-20 0 0 181.00

OJ Hannon-Dalby 29 5 114 1 114.00 1-58 0 0 174.00

BW Sanderson 37 7 140 1 140.00 1-87 0 0 222.00

RM Pyrah 56 11 201 1 201.00 1-14 0 0 336.00

AW Gale 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 -

MP Vaughan 6 0 47 0 0 0 0 0 -