County dominant at Hove

Sussex versus Leicestershire, Specsavers County Championship, Day 1:

SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE

INTERVIEW | Ben Raine spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae, the interview can be downloaded HERE

HIGHLIGHTS | The highlights of the first day’s play are available HERE

REPORT | Leicestershire enjoyed a terrific first day in the Specsavers County Championship game at Hove, dismissing Sussex for 163 before making a confident reply in moving to 140-2 at stumps.

The seam attack, led by Ben Raine (15-8-30-4) and Wayne White (10-3-25-3), took seven wickets for 33 runs during the afternoon session while Niall O’Brien claimed five dismissals behind the stumps.

Paul Horton (71 not out) anchored Leicestershire’s first innings, sharing 100 for the second with Neil Dexter (28) and an unbroken 33 with skipper Mark Cosgrove (20 not out) as the team closed 23 runs behind.

It was great day for the whole team including Raine, who epitomised an extremely disciplined bowling performance on a good wicket against an opposition that has been first division regulars in recent years.

He said: “It’s been an outstanding day for us and it showed where we are as a team at the moment. It’s a good pitch but as a unit I thought we bowled outstandingly.

“It was a typical bowling performance by us. I don’t think we’re ever going to have someone who will get regular five-fors or six-fors, we will get our wickets in twos and threes because at both ends we keep things tight, keep hitting our lengths and we feel if we get one wicket then someone else can get another for us quite quickly.

“Horts (Paul Horton) has now gone past 60 for the third time in four innings and helped put us in a great position. Sussex will no doubt come hard at us in the first hour but if we can get through that then bat for the rest of the day and beyond we will give ourselves a very good chance of winning.”

Leicestershire reverted to the side that won at Glamorgan with Jigar Naik coming in for the injured Zak Chappell. It was a case of status quo with the coin toss as the visiting captain again opted to have one and for the third successive time it went against Cosgrove, so the team found themselves in the field.

The seamers again got stuck in and two new-ball wickets were taken by Raine, who had Chris Nash (4) taken by Angus Robson at second slip in his third over with a full-length ball which the batsman pushed hard at before Matt Machan (4) fell lbw to a full and straight delivery in the bowler’s sixth over.

It was a testing first hour for Sussex with the odd ball at the Sea End popping up off a length but Joyce began to show his customary fluency and Taylor was soon into his stride as well, producing the shot of the session when he drove Charlie Shreck (12-1-42-1) straight to the boundary.

The duo steadied Sussex in an unbroken third-wicket stand of 65 which took Sussex to 88 for 2 from 30 overs at the interval. Joyce was on 40 and Taylor 28 at that stage.

An important breakthrough arrived when Taylor (36) feathered to O’Brien off Shreck in two minds whether to hook a short ball. Luke Wells scored 23 but clipped Clint McKay (13-4-27-1) straight to White at mid-wicket and Leicestershire sensed their opportunity with Sussex at 130-4.

Joyce reached a measured half-century before he got a touch down the leg side to be caught by O’Brien off White for 56. White’s next over fatally holed the Sussex batting as three wickets fell in five balls.

Ollie Robinson (1) fell after being brilliantly taken by the diving O’Brien down the leg-side, Ajmal Shahzad was run out by Pettini in the covers after he was sent back by Ben Brown trying to get off the mark first ball then Brown (1) edged an attempted drive to O’Brien.

Sussex had lost four wickets for the addition of three runs and although there was a partial recovery to 163-8, Raine returned to remove George Garton (14) and Steve Magoffin (0) with late movement, caught by O’Brien and Naik respectively.

The home side made an early breakthrough when Robson (1) lost his middle stump as an attempted cut off Magoffin cannoned off the inside edge but Horton and Dexter showed their experience in putting on 100 for the second wicket.

Horton progressed to his third Championship fifty in four innings for Leicestershire off 76 balls, a milestone that included eight boundaries.

Brown rung the changes in an attempt to find a breakthrough but it was not forthcoming until Dexter (28) was leg before to Robinson with the score at 107. Horton’s solid unbeaten 71 came off 101 balls with 10 fours as he and Cosgrove saw the side through to the close.