Thomas tears Sussex apart

South African seamer Alfonso Thomas took five wickets to give Somerset control on the second day of their LV= County Championship Division One match against Sussex at Hove.

The 32-year-old from Cape Town, a Kolpak signing in 2008 after a brief stint with Warwickshire, took 5-53 in 20 overs as Sussex were dismissed for 197, a total well below par on an easy-paced pitch.

Justin Langer did not enforce the follow-on despite a first-innings lead of 170 and by the close Somerset had reached 52 for one in their second innings – an advantage of 222 – and are in a strong position to secure their second successive championship win.

Indications that it was going to be Somerset's day came at the start of play when last-wicket pair Peter Trego and Charl Willoughby smashed 53 in just 5.2 overs to take their side to 367.

Alfonso Thomas' five wickets helped bowl Sussex out for just 197. Somerset extended their lead to 222 by the close

Trego, whose previous highest score this season was 23, bludgeoned 42 off 19 deliveries, including six fours and two sixes, while last man Willoughby, who was dropped on nought, offered good support in an entertaining stand of 69 which ended when Willoughby was run out, leaving Trego unbeaten on 92 from 107 balls.

Thomas then wrecked Sussex's top order with a spell of 3-4 in 12 balls, removing Chris Nash and then the badly out-of-form Murray Goodwin for a third-ball duck, both leg before.

With skipper Mike Yardy driving straight to Langer at short mid-on, Sussex were nine for three.

Matt Prior led a recovery in a stand of 95 for the fourth wicket with Ed Joyce, the former recording his third half-century of the season before he was superbly taken low down at gully by James Hildreth when Thomas returned after lunch.

Too many Sussex batsmen gave their wickets away. Joyce batted for over two hours before driving loosely outside off stump at Willoughby, while and Luke Wright, frustrated by the accuracy of Thomas and Willoughby, flayed to backward point to give Thomas his fifth wicket.

There was a brief fightback by Dwayne Smith and Andrew Hodd until Smith became leg-spinner Max Waller's maiden first-class victim when he was hit on the back leg sweeping in the last over before tea.

The last three wickets fell in nine balls at the start of the final session.

Hodd wasted 100 minutes of careful resistance when he was caught behind aiming a loose drive at David Stiff, and Piyush Chawla, who scored his maiden first-class hundred on Saturday, was pinned by a full-length delivery for a third-ball duck. Waller wrapped things up when he bowled Jason Lewry.

Wright had Marcus Trescothick caught off a top edge when Somerset batted again but Sussex are firmly on the back foot.