Sussex endured a disastrous opening day in their County Championship clash with Leicestershire at Hove.

An alarming batting collapse saw Sussex slump from 130-3 to 163 all out before Leicestershire reached the close on 140-2.

Ed Joyce top scored with 56 and put on 73 with Ross Taylor (35) for the third wicket but otherwise Sussex showed little resistance after electing to bat first.

Ben Raine led the way for Leicestershire with 4-30 while Wayne White picked up 3-25 to deny Sussex even a solitary batting point.

Sussex had recovered well from the early loss of Chris Nash and Matt Machan who had both made just four when they were dismissed by Raine.

Taylor and Joyce guided Sussex to 88-2 at lunch but the carnage started in the afternoon session as seven wickets fell in the space of 12 overs for just 33 runs.

Luke Wells chipped Clint McKay straight to the fielder at midwicket to spark the collapse with Joyce following him when he was strangled down the leg-side by White.

Ollie Robinson fell in identical fashion for a duck and a bad situation became worse as Ajmal Shahzad was run-out next ball after a comical mix-up with Ben Brown.

Brown became the third batsman to depart in the space of four balls when he was caught behind for one and Raine wrapped things up by dismissing George Garton for 14 and Steve Magoffin for a third-ball duck.

Leicestershire lost Angus Robson in only the third over of their reply when he chopped a ball from Magoffin on to his stumps but a century partnership between Paul Horton and Neil Dexter kept them firmly in the driving seat.

Horton reached his 50 from 76 balls and went on to reach the close unbeaten on 71 but Dexter was trapped lbw by Robinson for 28.