LUKE WRIGHT admits Sussex's under-performing bowlers must get their act together in four-day cricket if they are to climb the division two table.

Sussex remain unbeaten in the County Championship this season after their clash with Northamptonshire at Arundel Castle ended in a rain-disrupted draw on Saturday.

It was their sixth draw in seven games and while the weather has frustrated them at times this season they were grateful only 33 overs were possible on the final day as they battled to avoid defeat.

Half centuries from openers Ed Joyce and Chris Nash in the second innings meant Sussex were never under any real pressure in a game Northants dominated from start to finish as they progressed to 145-2 when the umpires called it a day.

But a return of just one bonus point means they have lost further ground on pacesetters Essex and Kent in the battle for the solitary promotion spot.

Sussex were bowled out for 178 in the first innings but Wright pointed the fingers at his bowlers after Northants racked up 478-5 in reply to take a stranglehold of the game.

Wright said: "It was a tough four days. We knew Northants would enforce their right to bowl first and I thought they bowled really well.

"Other than a couple of guys, we felt like we’d been bowled out rather than got ourselves out. Conditions were still great for us but we bowled too short and too wide, at no point did we put them under pressure.

"To only get one bonus point on that wicket was so disappointing. We’ve been out-bowled and something we need to get right if we’re going to push up the table in the remaining nine games.

"The weather has cost us in other matches and this time it has helped us, although I like to think we’d have seen out the game for a draw without help of the rain."