Date-stamped : 06 May96 - 02:14 Sunday League 1996 Nottinghamshire v Sussex Trent Bridge, Nottingham 5 May 1996 ====> REPORT By Charles Randall Nottinghamshire (292-2) beat Sussex (163) by 129 runs NOTTINGHAMSHIRE put their marker down for the AXA Equity and Law title with the county`s record 40-overs score of 292 for two , shutting Sussex out of the game at Trent Bridge yesterday Paul Pollard, with 118 off 108 balls, looked almost pedestrian compared with his irrepressible captain Paul Johnson, who coaxed 97 not out from 78 balls the day after his 77-ball 90 against Sussex in the championship. Sussex bowled well, but their day was spoilt by persistent, destructive strokeplay and by an injury to Neil Lenham, who damaged a rib while fielding. Nottinghamshire have had a bad league run since their 1991 ti- tle, but this time they seem well equipped, making Sussex, who lost by 129 runs, look humiliatingly mediocre; the margin of de- feat at one stage looked like joining the largest on record. The day quickly adopted a festive feel. Umpire Graham Burgess had his birthday announced on the public address - his 53rd - and crowd noise from Nottingham Forest`s neighbouring Prem- iership match augmented the cheers washing over the ground while Johnson, Pollard and the lethal Chris Cairns stitched up the Sussex bowling. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http.//www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by Shash (shs2@*.cwru.edu)