Middlesex in stormy waters on south coast

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Close, day one: Middlesex 170 v Sussex 106-3

Sussex 3pts, Middlesex 1pt

Amjad Khan took five wickets for Sussex as they quickly ran through the Middlesex order on day one at Hove.

Seamer Khan, who once featured briefly for England on a tour of the West Indies in 2009, dismissed Dawid Malan, Sam Robson and Neil Dexter in a hostile first spell before adding Ollie Rayner and Gareth Berg later on.

The in-form Tim Murtagh (pictured above) made the highest stand for the visitors by adding 34 at the bottom of the order.

But after being finished off for 170, Murtagh could not find a breakthrough and only three wickets – two by Berg and one from Toby Roland-Jones – could be taken from Sussex as they reached stumps just 64 runs behind.

Middlesex were quickly 17-2 from just five overs and four balls after Steve Magoffin opened the bowling and edged both skipper Chris Rogers (5) and Joe Denly (4) to England youngster Luke Wright in the slips.

And Sussex’s choice to send the visitors in to bat proved the be the right one when Khan came into the attack for a blistering spell.

After reaching 56-2, Malan (19), Robson (24) and Dexter (4) were all dispatched within four overs of each other and Middlesex suddenly found themselves dumbstruck and 62-5.

Middlesex seamers Rayner and Berg attempted to restore the innings with a 54-run partnership for the seventh wicket, but Khan dismissed them both within two overs of each other to make the score 128-8.

Ed Joyce, who took over from former England allrounder Michael Yardy as Sussex captain last week and saw them to an innings victory over Worcestershire, made an unbeaten 49 as his side responded strongly with the bat.

Joyce and Yardy will resume day two with a 42-run partnership intact.

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