Chris Adams today refused to concede that Sussex's agonising 13-run defeat by Warwickshire was the defining moment in their bid for the Championship.

The county will go into Wednesday's top-two showdown against Lancashire at Hove a point behind their rivals - who also have a game in hand.

But Adams is backing his side to overcome their acute disappointment of yet another Edgbaston setback and keep the title race alive.

Chasing 270 for victory, Sussex lost their last six wickets for 66 runs yesterday to slump to their second defeat of the season. They have now won just once at Edgbaston since 1961.

Adams said: "Of course it's a setback but chasing 270 in the fourth innings at Edgbaston is never easy and we lost key wickets at crucial times, especially when Murray (Goodwin) and Matt (Prior) went early yesterday.

"We've had a chat about it. The players are very disappointed but there were some positives which we have stressed. Our performance on the third day, when we bowled them out for 140, was the best we have played for a month. That will give us a lot of confidence going into the Lancashire game, especially Mushtaq (Ahmed) who took 5-39 and was back to his best.

"If we're honest we lost this game on the first two days. We didn't bowl well in helpful conditions in their first innings and then to lose all ten wickets in a session, as we did on Friday, was inexplicable.

"In many ways our game mirrored Lancashire's against Notts apart from the end result. They didn't play their best cricket until the last day and a half and pulled off a great win. When we play them this week we have to make sure we are at our best from the start."

Three of Sussex's five remaining games are against their closest rivals with third-placed Hampshire and Kent, both of whom also have a game in hand, still to play.

Adams added: "If we win all three then we will be entitled to call ourselves worthy champions. We have never been favourites to win the title but we've still got a good chance and I wouldn't write us off."

Warwickshire's unlikely match-winner was South African left-arm spinner Paul Harris, a Kolpak registration who was signed when Daniel Vettori returned home after playing just one game because of a stress fracture in his back.

Harris got turn out of the rough outside the right--hander's off stump in an unbroken 15-over spell from the City End but even he admitted to some surprise at his success.

He said: "Their guys have batters' egos - they are looking to score quickly all the time and I don't think they played me very well at all."

Sussex hearts were fluttering almost immediately when Goodwin fell in the first over and Warwickshire were firmly in control after Prior got out.

But in a contest where neither side ever took firm control there was a further twist as Robin Martin-Jenkins and Yasir Arafat added 42 runs for the seventh wicket.

If they had stayed together for another 15 minutes then Sussex would be back on top today. Instead, with 28 runs still required after Martin-Jenkins fell, the pressure got to Mushtaq and Jason Lewry who both perished.

Warwickshire's victory should just about secure first division survival. Sussex have a different agenda and we are about to discover whether they have the ability and mental strength to sustain a Championship challenge. Adams remains adamant they do.