Victory over Nottinghamshire at Horsham last season gave Sussex the momentum which carried them all the way to their first Championship.

But they could be hard pressed to repeat it after the first day of this year's festival during which Ian Bell's well-crafted career-best put Warwickshire in a healthy positon.

The toss is always crucial at Cricketfield Road because batting last can be difficult, but even though he called incorrectly Chris Adams would have been satisfied in mid-afternoon when Warwickshire were 166-5 and Mushtaq Ahmed, who had taken three of the wickets to fall, was in the middle of an outstanding spell of leg spin bowling.

Not for the first time this season, however, Sussex failed to make their advantage count. On a similar sort of pitch at Northampton in their last match they had the opposition 186-7 but allowed them to make 400.

Now, Bell was joined by Brad Hogg and together they wrested back the initiative in a stand of 145 in 38 overs, a record for Warwickshire's sixth wicket against Sussex.

Mushtaq eventually snared Hogg to claim his fourth wicket, but Bell will resume today on 147 to his name and Warwickshire 357-6. What's more, Ashley Giles will join their attack if, as seems likely, he is released from the England Test squad.

The respective styles of Hogg and Bell could not have been more different. Bell was patience personified, particularly when Mushtaq was at his most effective in the afternoon. But after taking 14 overs to get from 40 to 50, he played with increasing authority to reach the fifth century of his career.

Hogg, in contrast, went on the offensive straight away, coming down the pitch to belt his first ball from Mushhtaq through mid on for four.

Even his partner must have admired the way the Australian used his feet to dominate the spinners although he eventually took one liberty too many against Mushtaq who bowled one slightly wider when he spotted him coming down the pitch and Adams held on to the thick edge at slip.

Mushtaq must have been licking his lips the moment he pulled back the curtains yesterday.

He could finally feel some warmth in his fingers after spending most of the last month dodging rain clouds and there was more help than he might have expected from a first day pitch. All this on the ground where he took 12 wickets last season.

After Mohammad Akram had found enough seam movement to unseat Knight and Mark Wagh in successive overs with the new ball, he was soon wheeling away at the Town End.

He struck in his fourth over when Jonathan Trott was leg before paddle-sweeping the arm ball, but the delivery of the day was reserved for Jim Troughton, a leg break which spun like a top and flattened the left-hander's leg stump.

Like all of his team mates, Dougie Brown got a start but a hard push to silly point gave Mushtaq his third success in the 64th over.

That was as good as it got for Sussex.

Mushtaq kept probing away, but it was a tough day for the seamers, not least James Kirtley who, unusually for him, had trouble over-stepping and unsurprisingly looked rusty in his first Championship appearance since last July.

Not so long ago Bell was being talked about as England's next big thing.

He has failed to fulfill that early potential, but looked the part here. He took few liberties until Mushtaq tired towards the end of the day. He reached his century by stroking Mushtaq through the covers for his 14th boundary and had added four more and a six, also off Mushtaq, by the close.

It was a tough day for Sussex who will need to bat well to stay in contention when their chance comes.

Director of cricket Peter Moores said: "We had a chance when they were 166-5, but at Horsham there's always a chance of a good partnership and, to be fair to him, I thought Ian Bell played a really good innings.

"Mushy bowled well for us, but you have got to earn your wickets here."

Overnight: Warwickshire 1st Innings 357 for 6 (104 overs)