Derbyshire 407 (Guest 105, du Plooy 52, Karvelas 4-64, Shipley 4-124) and 361 for 8 (du Plooy 128, Ali 73) drew with Sussex 402 (Hudson-Prentice 63*, Scrimshaw 5-49) and 384 for 9 dec (Coles 180, Thomson 5-110)

Du Plooy's third hundred of the summer means he is now the leading scorer in Division Two with 979 runs but when he was caught in the deep Derbyshire still needed 54 from 41 balls.

Ali was well caught by Tom Haines trying to clear long off but Du Plooy pushed on, hitting all around the wicket in an impressive display of power, placement and, when required, unorthodoxy as he employed the ramp shot to good effect to find the gaps. A single off Jack Carson took the 28-year-old to his century and when the last ten overs started with 87 needed, Derbyshire were favourites.

But Du Plooy, having hit 17 fours and three sixes in 117 balls faced, tried to clear the temptingly short pavilion-side boundary once too often and thereafter Sussex's overseas pair of Nathan McAndrew and Shipley bowled with impressive control.

Derbyshire had lost three wickets in the afternoon session with Ari Karvelas picking up Harry Came, who edged to slip, before Luis Reece's lack of footwork betrayed him and he offered a low edge to second slip. Brooke Guest played on to give Shipley his second wicket and at tea Derbyshire still needed 270 in 36 overs.

Du Plooy's effort was the second fine innings of the day after Coles had been last out for a career-best 180 before Sussex declared 25 minutes after lunch.

The 19-year-old, who had resumed on 101, shared stands of 70 for the sixth wicket with Fynn Hudson-Prentice, 62 for the eighth with Carson and 63 for the ninth in 47 balls with Shipley before Sussex pulled out.

Coles had batted for six minutes short of six hours after coming in on day three when Sussex were 1 for 2. He faced 264 balls and hit 23 fours and two sixes before holing out to deep midwicket, an anti-climactic end to an outstanding innings.

Off-spinner Thomson finished with 5 for 110 and had match figures of 8 for 180. He picked up his fifth wicket when McAndrew was caught at silly point. With George Scrimshaw taking 5 for 49 in Sussex's first innings, it was the first time two Derbyshire bowlers had taken five wickets in the same game at Hove since 1933.