Sussex rearguard action hero Oli Carter said his side were only playing for the draw in the last 21.2 overs when they were nine wickets down against Glamorgan.

The wicketkeeper ended 55 not out to keep his side second in the table, well supported by bowler and number 11 Henry Shipley as they held out.

Carter said: “A draw was a good result in the end for us but we have to say we were pretty poor with the bat and we actually could have won if we had batted well first innings and taken all of our chances.

“It is good to get a draw, but we are always looking for a win. We were always looking to win the game by risking losing.

“We only settled for a draw when we were nine down, we were just going to shut up shop from then really.

“It helped that Shippers is no ordinary number 11.”

Glamorgan were left one wicket short of leapfrogging their second placed opponents in the table.

Sussex finished on 273-9, 85 behind. Carter faced 150 balls for his 55 not out after being dropped from two difficult chances, and Shipley faced 56 deliveries for his eight.

Australian leg spinner Mitch Swepson led the way for the Welsh County with four wickets, Jamie McIlroy and James Harris taking two each, but it was the final wicket that was to prove elusive.

Nathan McAndrew’s rapid 42 showed brief promise of Sussex chasing down the target, before the wickets started tumbling regularly.

Sussex nightwatchman Aristides Karvelas went early and the game slowed down with Tom Clark and Tom Alsop struggling to score runs from Swepson in particular.

James Harris pinned Alsop after lunch from round the wicket.

He was replaced at the wicket by all rounder McAndrew in a clear declaration of intent.

Clark survived a big LBW shout from Swepson, but then next ball the same sort of delivery was that little bit closer and he had to depart.

McAndrew hit Swepson out of the attack to see the pace of Jamie McIlroy replacing him, but that hurried the Australian into a skied mis-hit off a shorter ball which was comfortably caught at mid on by Glamorgan captain Kiran Carlson.

Sussex continued to take a positive approach with James Coles leading the way, until he was impressively caught behind for 35 by wicket keeper Chris Cooke standing up to seamer McIlroy.

Dan Ibrahim was next to go, sweeping a leg side delivery from Swepson but top edging to Zain-ul-Hassan at backward square leg.

However the visitors maintained a positive approach, reaching tea with seven wickets down and still needed 154 to win.

Their eighth wicket fell after tea, Harris setting three men back on the hook and then yorking Fynn Hudson-Prentice with the middle stump coming out of the ground.

Carter was dropped on 37 by Billy Root at square leg off McIlroy, but Root atoned by making no mistake with Jack Carson off the bowling of Timm van der Gugten.