Advantage Middlesex as wickets tumble

Division One leaders Middlesex are well placed to claim their third successive win after another bowler-dominated day at Hove. Twelve wickets fell on a second day that ended with 21 overs unused after a sea fret rolled in.

Middlesex closed on 126 for 6, having extended their overall lead to 203 after dismissing Sussex for 192 earlier in the day. No player has yet passed 50 in the match (although there have been 112 extras) and that statistic looks unlikely to change with batsmen on both sides struggling to combat a pitch of erratic bounce that is unlikely to get any easier.

Sussex were indebted to Ben Brown's counterattacking 46 for keeping their first-innings deficit to manageable proportions and although Middlesex slumped to 68 for 4 and then 102 for 6, Ollie Rayner defied his former team-mates with an unbeaten 19 before the mists descended.

Sussex were hampered by the absence of their leading wicket-taker Ajmal Shahzad, who suffered an arm injury on the first day. In his absence Ollie Robinson took three wickets to take his tally on his home debut to seven, which just about kept Sussex in contention.

Batting again with a precious lead of 77, Middlesex lost Nick Gubbins in Robinson's first over when he edged an outswinger before Steve Magoffin reaped an instant reward for a change of ends when he plucked out Sam Robson's off stump.

Middlesex lost two wickets with the score on 68. Substitute fielder Simon Harmer ran out Nick Compton with an underarm throw from the covers and James Franklin completed a pair off the next ball when Magoffin had him taken at second slip.

Robinson's lifter accounted for Neil Dexter and Mike Yardy claimed his third slip catch of the innings shortly after tea when Adam Voges drove at another Robinson delivery that spat up off a length. Rayner and John Simpson survived for six overs before the players went off.

Earlier, Sussex's first innings had been something of a procession once skipper Ed Joyce shovelled a leg-side ball from James Harris to long leg in the second over of the day. Luke Wright briefly flourished with five boundaries in his 26 but it needed Brown to give the total some respectability. He attacked vigorously after lunch, hitting eight boundaries in a stand of 31 for the ninth wicket with Shahzad, who offered solid support despite being clearly inconvenienced by his injury.

Brown gave Rayner his second wicket with a tame catch down the leg side while the pick of the Middlesex seamers was Toby Roland-Jones, who found the right length and was unfortunate to only finish with two wickets.