Nottinghamshire captain Chris Read fears his team's poor catching may prove the "difference" in their LV County Championship Division One match against Sussex - but has not given up hope yet of beating the champions.

After Matt Prior took his match aggregate to 195 runs with a hard-working 64, Sussex set their hosts 286 to win at Trent Bridge.

Leaders Notts then replied with 114 for five at stumps and look outsiders going into the final day.

Read lamented the drops, which rose to seven by the end of Sussex's second innings and were hard on the home bowlers.

"Throughout the game, particularly the second innings, we've bowled exceptionally well," said the wicketkeeper.

"I do feel for the bowlers. They have had a number of catches dropped off them.

"We've been catching well this season, but unfortunately today it came apart a little bit.

"So we're chasing a few more than we would have liked - and obviously we haven't got off to the best start in that chase either.

"When you put four down (in an innings), that could be the difference."

Even so, with Read unbeaten on 29 in an unbroken stand of 33 with Graeme Swann, there is still hope for Notts.

"While we've still got people in the hutch, we're still fighting and still ready to give that chase a good go," he insisted.

"When you're in a situation like this you don't even look at that end figure.

"There's a figure on the board that says 170-odd to win - but from my point of view, I'm not concentrating on that.

"We'll just try and build a partnership, and I hope I'll look up at some stage and it'll be down to a hundred - and we won't have lost any more wickets."

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