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Sussex's hopes of promotion from Division Two of the County Championship have been dealt a major blow with the club handed a 12-point deduction.

The county were automatically docked points by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after receiving four fixed penalties in one season.

Captain Cheteshwar Pujara has also been suspended for one match.

Sussex are now 30 points behind second-placed Worcestershire with two games of the campaign remaining.

The side finishing second will go up to Division One for next season with already promoted Durham.

Sussex and Pujara will not appeal against the decisions and the India batter will miss their next Championship fixture, which is away to Derbyshire and begins on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old was sanctioned for captaining Sussex in the matches in which all four fixed penalties were received, with the final two offences occurring during the 15-run win over Leicestershire last week.

"There were a couple of instances that the umpires were not impressed with," Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace told ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Sussex following the victory against the Foxes.

"In terms of us, as a team, we don't have a great deal of experience on the field and perhaps at times the emotions of the game - and the emotions of young people playing a game that they were on the verge of winning - maybe just took over.

"That is a fine line. You want your team to be passionate and care, but we don't want to cross the line and fall out with the umpires."

The sanctions were imposed in accordance with the ECB's professional conduct regulations.