Sussex are facing another season of National League struggle after Nottinghamshire handed them a third defeat in three games.

The Sharks gave themselves far too much to do with the bat after putting their visitors in, then made little more than a token challenge on a target revised because of rain to 248 in 37 overs.

Bottom of the Second Division ahead of successive trips to Middlesex and Northants, the season is bearing a depressing similarity to last year, when they only just avoided the wooden spoon.

Heavy showers, a chill breeze and periods of glorious sunshine offered a curious mix of conditions for a good crowd at Horsham.

However, other then local boy Carl Hopkinson batting himself into contention for future league games, there were few silver linings once Notts had batted themselves into a position of power.

Their innings was based on an entertaining 48-ball contribution from opener Usman Afzaal and late fireworks from Chris Cairns.

Afzaal shared in stands of 75 in 11 overs with Kevin Pietersen and 46 with Jason Gallian as the visitors recovered from losing Chris Read, who offered no stroke to the fourth ball of the innings.

Seven fours and an improvised six over the covers off James Kirtley by Afzaal kept the Outlaws speeding along at six an over.

Billy Taylor removed Gallian's off stump with the first ball he delivered and later yorked Gareth Clough but there was an awful lot of punishment for the home attack in between.

Pietersen was dropped at short mid-wicket by Richard Montgomerie off Robin Martin-Jenkins having scored just two and went on to fire five fours as well as pulling Kevin Innes on to the pavilion steps for six.

He eventually perished by picking out Martin-Jenkins on the long-on boundary.

Bilal Shafayat also holed out at long on and Martin-Jenkins took a sharp return catch to end Afzaal's innings as the clear highlight of a disappointing afternoon for the all-rounder on his home club ground.

Mark Davis helped slow the scoring rate a little late in the innings but the rest of the bowlers suffered at the hands of Cairns.

The New Zealand star had only stepped off a flight from Sri Lanka to Heathrow earlier in the day.

Not that he tired himself too much more by running between the wickets.

He did most of his scoring in boundaries, combining power and placement, threatening the tea and sandwiches in a hospitality tent with one driven six, then depositing the ball in the nearby River Arun with another massive hit.

His 35-ball half century, which also included six fours, helped Notts add 58 off the last five overs to give Sussex a desperately tough target to chase.

Tim Ambrose and Innes made a positive start but the introduction of medium pacer Clough when Sussex were 58-1 proved the turning point of their reply.

They lost four wickets in the next three overs to effectively settle the contest.

Innes had just taken 17 runs off an over to blast AJ Harris out of the attack but Harris took instant revenge by holding a catch at mid-off to dismiss the same batsman from Clough's first delivery.

Two balls later Montgomerie, who never got into his stride, edged behind.

Murray Goodwin lobbed a Richard Logan long hop straight to the cover boundary sweeper in the next over, then Pietersen held a super catch at cover point as Chris Adams square cut Clough.

It was quite a weekend of celebration for Clough, who completed career best bowling figures in limited overs cricket, just 24 hours after his 25th birthday. He at least will have enjoyed his trip home from Cricket Field Road. Now Sussex need similar success on their travels if they are to even contemplate a promotion push.

Nottinghamshire (4pts) beat Sussex (0 pts) by 97 runs