Chris Adams admits he does not know whether he has played his last game for Sussex.

The 38-year-old was given a standing ovation by the Hove crowd and a guard of honour by the Yorkshire players on Saturday when he batted for the last time as captain as Sussex drew their final Championship game of the season to cling on to their place in the first division.

Adams will be applying for the chief executive’s job at Hove and was interviewed by Hampshire earlier this month about the vacancy on their coaching staff.

He still has another year remaining on his Sussex contract and his intention at the moment is to return as a player next year.

“I have no offers for any job at the moment,” he admitted. “At the moment my only option is to carry on playing, there is nothing at this time which will stop me from doing that.

“But I know that in cricket things can change quickly. I will be applying for the chief executive’s job here and other things might happen, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Adams admits he struggled to keep his emotions in check as he went out to bat shortly after it emerged that Kent had lost to new champions Durham to confirm that Sussex had retained their first division status.

“I was struggling when I walked out.” he added. “I knew this day would come but it was still hard to prepare for the emotion involved.

“Walking out to bat on a pair to a standing ovation was quite surreal but the Yorkshire boys did me proud.

“It’s the end of an incredible journey. It has been an unbelievable 11 years and I’m exhausted at the end of it but I don’t want the supporters to feel sad, as some of said they were on Saturday.

“It’s exciting because one era has come to an end and a new one under my successor Mike Yardy is going to start. I couldn’t feel happier or prouder or more bouyant about the future of the club.

“It was a priviledge to end my time in charge on my terms and most importantly with us still in the first division, even if it was by the skin of our teeth.”

With the pressure off, the outgoing skipper treated the Hove crowd to some vintage strokeplay. He made 35 off 35 balls with three sixes and three fours before holing out to mid-off to give leg-spinner Adil Rashid one of his seven second-innings wickets.

“Saturday’s was probably my most enjoyable innings of the season,” said Adams. “People will have loved the sixes but the two fours up the hill were quality shots and I enjoyed them more.”

Adams has had his worst season with the bat in his 20-year career, finishing with just 431 Championship runs and no hundred for the first time since 1989. And if he is to return as a player next year it will be after plenty of work in the nets during the winter.

“I have tinkered around all year and committed the cardinal sin of not having faith in my own technique,” he added.

“On Saturday I just stood at the crease like I have for the last three or four years and delivered in the way I know I can.

“Had the situation been different I would have played more cautiously but we knew Kent had lost so I had the chance to leave people here hopefully with a memory that I was also a good player.

“And if I never walk out at Hove again as a player then I leave on a fantastic high with great memories. It has been a blast and I have achieved so much more than I thought I would.”

Sussex comfortably saved the game in the end despite following on 193 behind thanks mainly to the peerless Murray Goodwin’s sixth hundred of the season.

His 118, which included 12 fours, meant he finished with 1,343 runs - 367 more than Matt Prior, who was Sussex’s second-highest run scorer - and he was duly named player of the season when the awards were presented after play.

Mike Yardy (72) and Robin Martin-Jenkins (56) also made important contributions as Sussex reached 397-9 declared, a lead of 200, before the captains shook hands.

In the end, Sussex finished five points above the relegation zone but they and Yorkshire are the first counties to stay up with just two wins since two-divisional cricket started in 2000.

“I was delighted that we stayed up comfortably by drawing the match,” added Adams. “We showed the fight that there has always been here during my time because a lot of teams might have crumbled under the pressure we were on after the first day.”

Scores: Yorkshire 400-9 dec, Sussex 207 & 397-9 dec. Match drawn: Sussex 8pts, Yorkshire 12.

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