Wright keeps Lancs at bay

Luke Wright celebrates the dismissal of Sajid Mahmood, one of five victims in a fine display by the Sussex all-rounder

Luke Wright claimed his maiden first-class five-wicket haul to spark a Sussex fightback against Lancashire at Hove.

Lancashire were heading for a sizeable first-innings lead when they reached 253 for five in response to Sussex's 289.

But Wright claimed three wickets with the second new ball to finish with 5-80, eclipsing his previous best of 3-33 four years ago against Surrey.

With Robin Martin-Jenkins offering excellent support with three for 50, Lancashire were restricted to only a 10-run lead and, by the close, Sussex had reached 148 for five in their second innings with Wright unbeaten on 35.

Wright ended a fourth-wicket stand of 107 between Mark Chilton and Steven Croft in the second over of the day, courtesy of a smart slip catch by Ed Joyce, but it took Sussex another 18 overs to strike again, although in that time Lancashire scored only 44 runs.

Chilton fell 11 runs short of a century when he missed a straight ball from Martin-Jenkins, having faced 269 balls and hit 13 boundaries, and in the next over Luke Sutton edged Wright's away-swinger.

Glen Chapple fell in identical fashion - this time to Martin-Jenkins - after lunch and Wright mopped up the rest by removing Gary Keedy and Sajid Mahmood.

Bowlers have generally been on top throughout this contest and, with the pitch showing signs of uneven bounce, the theme continued when Sussex went in again, with James Anderson, who took 6-56 in the first innings, soon back in the swing of things.

Gary Keedy successfully appeals for the wicket of Matt Prior as Lancashire make inroads into Sussex's second innings

After an unproductive first spell, he switched ends and immediately tempted Chris Nash into nibbling at an away-swinger before Sussex skipper Mike Yardy shouldered arms and looked on in horror as the ball cannoned off the bottom of his bat onto his off stump.

At 45 for two, Sussex were precariously placed but they were revived by a stand of 50 for the third wicket between Joyce and Murray Goodwin.

Joyce hit the first six of the match when he swung slow left-armer Keedy over midwicket but Keedy bounced back to take two wickets in three balls.

Goodwin was smartly stumped by Sutton when he came down the pitch looking to drive through mid-on only to misjudge the flight, and then Matt Prior completed a miserable match with the bat when he fell for a second-ball duck, leg before despite getting a good stride forward.

Wright was dropped at slip on 17 off Anderson but added 53 in 17 overs with Joyce, who reached his second half-century of the match only to fall in the final over, leg before to Keedy for 55.

It left Lancashire in a good position to force victory on the final day.