Peter Moores has pledged to address a year-long trend of lower order batting collapses.

The Argus has uncovered a relentless pattern of failure dogging the county in the Championship since the start of last season. Time after time their innings has folded once the specialist batsmen have been dismissed.

Moores acknowledged: "It's been a problem for us, getting runs down the order, and it's not going away. We have got to address it, there's no doubt about that."

The most runs they have made since the start of last season once the sixth wicket falls is a paltry 129 against Glamorgan at Cardiff 13 months ago. That match was responsible for two of only six occasions out of 25 innings when the lower order have accumulated more than 100 runs.

The problem has been particularly bad at Hove. The highest total at headquarters in six innings prior to last weekend's thumping defeat by Warwickshire was a mere 66, against Gloucestershire a year ago.

The Warwickshire annihilation emphasised the weakness. Dougie Brown, batting at seven for the visitors, scored a double hundred. Ashley Giles, their No. 8, hit an unbeaten century, the third of his career.

Warwickshire amassed 548-7 declared from a precarious 158-5. Sussex subsided from 159-5 and 197-6 to 224 all out in their first innings. At least the lower order broke through the three-figure barrier second time around, adding 108 runs. Jason Lewry, batting at eight, struck a career-best 39, but the match was already lost by then.

Moores said: "It is difficult. You have personnel you have got to work with on the staff. It is a promising sign that somebody like Jason Lewry has started to take responsibility and get some runs.

"The two angles are you either get those that are in better or you replace them with somebody else. It's something we are aware of, especially in the four-day games. You need to score runs all the way down the order, because if you lose a couple early on you have got to post a score.

Robinson, a self-confessed "bowler that can't bat", hankers for the days when Sussex could depend on the likes of Moores himself and Paul Jarvis. "I think a lot of it is inexperience," said Robinson. "Once Tony Cottey has gone you are into inexperienced players."

Sussex's lower order problems are not confined to the Championship. They have also collapsed in both matches in the National League this season. If Glenn McGrath and his Worcestershire colleagues get stuck into Sussex's front line batsmen at Hove tonight then don't leave your seat. History suggests the innings won't last much longer.

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