Not even Chris Adams in full flow could save Sussex's gloomy sporting Bank Holiday from a dismal finale.

Adams fired his first National League century since September 2001 but his side still suffered a six-wicket home defeat to Northants.

Two late James Kirtley wickets gave the Steelbacks a few flutters at the end and they still needed six to win off the last over.

Kirtley, however, had been recalled for an over in mid-innings to try and stem the flow of runs, which left Mike Yardy, who had not previously bowled in the game, to send down the final over.

Gerard Brophy took full advantage to finish the job in four balls but the real damage had been done much earlier.

If you forget the legion of armchair Manchester United fans, these have been a bad couple of days to be a sports fan in this county, what with defeats for Seagulls, Eagles, Sharks and Bears.

Sussex have suffered two of those reverses in successive days to leave a question mark already hanging over their promotion credentials in Division Two.

What should have been a special day in front of a big crowd on Open Day at Hove was largely stolen from them by Phil Jaques, Australian born of British parents, who has passed 60 in each of his first three National League outings.

How Sussex would love that sort of consistency, though their run-making did make a piece of club history.

The unbeaten 183 added by Adams and Robin Martin-Jenkins, whose 68 was a career best in one-day cricket, was the second highest for any Sussex wicket in the history of this competition.

Not that the duo were building on solid foundations. They came together at 34-3 in the 15th over after Tim Ambrose, Richard Montgomerie and Murray Goodwin had all fallen to some slick Northants work.

The pair took time to gain momentum but 81 runs from the last ten overs provided what Adams, who won the toss, felt was a winning score.

The skipper's 116-ball contribution included eight fours and four sixes, the last two of which were pulled off paceman Andre Nel, who had been unlucky not to get a wicket in his opening spell.

Having driven Jeff Cook over long on and pulled Mike Cawdron to square leg, Adams then peppered the refurbished scoreboard off Nel's bowling and had a few comments to make to the bowler along the way.

The late onslaught helped Adams convert what had looked to be a good 50 into a memorable ton. He drove Cook for four in the penultimate over to go to 98, then chanced his arm going back for two to square leg and was in luck as Gerard Brophy's throw let him down.

Martin-Jenkins provided perfect support, hitting just three fours but always looking to push ones and twos.

It needed something like that to kick start the innings. Sussex struggled to get to three runs an over for a long time and were not helped by catches from wicketkeeper Tobin Bailey, low down to remove Ambrose and one-handed diving down the leg side off Goodwin's glance, and Brophy, throwing himself at Montgomerie's cover drive.

Martin-Jenkins provided two early wickets to further encourage Sussex but the Steelbacks generally looked in charge with the bat.

David Sales attacked with a flourish before perishing tamely with a mis-timed clip to mid wicket.

That was when Jaques really came into his own.

His 50 was completed by a six off Davis, forcing the unplanned early return of Kirtley which played havoc with Adams' bowling permutations. Jaques went to a needless run out to Yardy and, when Kevin Innes ran around to hold Cook's drive, Northants wobbled a little.

Not enough though and what could have been a super weekend could be summed up in one word. Grizzly.

Northants won by four wickets