A thrilling LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash between Sussex and Yorkshire ended in anti-climax, without a ball being bowled on the fourth day at Hove.

Heavy overnight and early morning rain posed a real problem. 

Umpires Rob White and Neil Pratt made multiple inspections in an attempt to get the game started, culminating in a final look at 4:30pm. 

The news from the middle was not good, and 15 minutes later, coaches and players shook hands. 

The decision was the right one, as within a few minutes another heavy shower put an end to any argument about whether play was possible.

For Yorkshire, needing 63 to win with seven wickets in hand, it was another frustrating experience in a season which has seen them lose a tight game to Leicestershire and then have their match against Gloucestershire washed out without a ball being bowled.

Even worse for Yorkshire, because of the way points are distributed, they only picked up nine to Sussex's 11, despite the visitors looking far more likely to win.

That means another solid points haul for the hosts, who have been encouraged by a win and a draw against two of the stronger sides in the division.

Sussex made a good start, having won the toss and chosen to bat, racking up 361 in the first innings.

Tom Alsop top scored with an impressive 95, but Yorkshire were able to keep the hosts in check thanks to Ben Coad's 5-54.

Plenty of players got starts in Yorkshire's reply, but no-one reached a half-century.

Despite young opener Fin Bean continuing his good form by making 49, Yorkshire looked set to be over 100 behind after their first innings.

But a thrilling last-wicket partnership of 49, which saw No.11 Coad blast 45 off 32 balls, meant they closed on a respectable 298.

The momentum was with Yorkshire after that, and Sussex collapsed in their second innings to be all out for 137, as Dom Bess spun his way to 3-36.

Chasing 201 to win, the visitors slumped to 39-3, only for Adam Lyth (69 not out) and Shai Hope (53no) to put on an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 99 at the end of day three.

But that was the last action of the game, as Yorkshire were left with feelings of frustration for a third week in a row.

Speaking after the game yesterday, frustrated Yorkshire head coach Ottis Gibson said: “I wish the sun was as warm as it is at home in Barbados so it could dry the ground a bit quicker and we’d have got even 40 minutes in this evening.

“That would probably would have been enough for us to get the job done. But it’s not to be.

“We played well, and that’s what I’ve said to the guys just now. The way we bowled having given up a lead is the template for us going forwards. That’s the way we need to approach it.

“Had we bowled better on the first day, perhaps we would have got a different outcome.

“When you’re behind the eight-ball, you need your key players to stand up. And everybody stood up. They showed a lot of skill, great character and fighting spirit and togetherness as well.

“To bowl them out for 137 on that pitch - it was still a good pitch - was a great effort.”