LV= County Championship: Luke Wright hundred hurts Northamptonshire at Hove

Luke Wright made an unbeaten century to help Sussex reach 319-6 by the end of the opening day of their LV= County Championship clash with Northamptonshire at Hove.

All-rounder Wright was unbeaten on 111 at stumps as the home side put themselves in a promising position in the battle of the two teams that currently occupying the relegation places in Division One.

Northamptonshire - who prop up the rest with 42 points to their name, leaving them 60 behind their current opponents - had Sussex in some trouble at 166-5.

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However Wright's second first-class hundred of the summer - he made 189 against Durham back in May - dug his side out of trouble. By the close he had faced 172 balls and struck a six and 17 fours.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Brown helped add 132 for the sixth wicket before he edged Andrew Hall to James Middlebrook at slip to depart for 47.

Despite losing opener Chris Nash for two in the seventh over, Sussex battled hard in tough conditions to at one stage reach 116-2, a decent effort after they had lost the toss and put into bat.

Yet their determined efforts against the new ball were somewhat undone when Ed Joyce (40) and Steffan Piolet (27) both fell without the addition of a run.

Ashar Zaidi contributed 22 to the recovery mission but it was Wright - who reached three figures from 152 balls - that led the fightback, his combination with Brown making it another tough day for Northants.