Sussex are putting discussions about new contracts on hold until the end of the season.

The county do not want to distract the players from their bid for a first Championship title which continues against Middlesex at Hove tomorrow (10.30am).

They have told Bas Zuiderent that he will not get a new deal but other out-of-contract players will have to wait another three weeks before their futures are sorted out.

The out of contract players are Mushtaq Ahmed, Murray Goodwin, Tony Cottey, Jason Lewry, Billy Taylor, Michael Yardy, Carl Hopkinson and Shaun Rashid, who made his comeback after injury in the second team yesterday.

Skipper Chris Adams said: "Historically this is the time when you are telling people whether they have a future or not, but potentially we are about to play the three most important games of our careers and nothing is going to distract us from that."

Sussex will be desperately keen to hang on to Mushtaq who is on course to become the first bowler to take 100 first-class wickets and it is likely Goodwin will return for a fourth season.

Sussex moved off the bottom of the National League after Chris Adams and Murray Goodwin both scored unbeaten centuries as they cruised to an eight-wicket win over Middlesex at Hove last night.

Their third wicket stand of 228 was a competition record and the best for any Sussex wicket in the League.