It looks like the long drive back from Leicester was worthwhile for Michael Yardy.

The all-rounder returned to form with a glittering 122 to help Sussex 2nd XI close in on Hampshire's first innings 378 by reaching 259-6 in the Championship match at Hove.

Yardy, who headed back to Hove at short notice on Tuesday when recalled from the first team squad, dominated an opening stand of 112 with Richard Jackson (29) and achieved the bulk of the scoring before being fourth out at 198.

Hampshire fought back in the last hour with medium-pacer Lawrence Prittipaul sending back Neil Turk for 37 and Krishna Singh in the final over of the day for 28.

The left-handed Yardy, who has played in just one senior Championship match and four limited overs games this season, scoring a total of 110 runs, compiled 20 boundaries in his commanding 179-ball vigil.

He had batted for three-and-a-quarter hours when he played back to Greg Lamb and was pinned leg before.

A couple of rain interruptions on the second day led to a total of 30 overs being lost, but Yardy and Jackson got Sussex off to a flyer before James Hibberd broke through to have Jackson caught at third slip.

Pace bowler James Hamblin later bowled Carl Hopkinson for 21 and, without addition, Dutchman Bas Zuiderent fell to the pace bowler for a second ball duck.

Prittipaul claimed his first wicket by trapping Turk leg before after he had added 42 for the fifth wicket with Singh.

Singh settled in quickly but was left kicking himself for getting out of the fifth ball of the final over from Prittipaul, when he was fed a bouncer and hooked a catch to Hamblin on the deep fine leg boundary.

That gave Prittipaul 2-59 in 15.5 overs, while Eastbourne and one-time Sussex player Hamblin finished the day with 2-59 in 16 overs.

Lamb took the prize wicket of Yardy at the cost of only 23 in 11 overs.