Sussex have been urged to explode out of the blocks today as they bid to kick-start their Championship campaign.

A run of five successive draws has undermined Sussex’s pre-season billing as title favourites in division two and they welcome Derbyshire to Hove sitting second from bottom in the table.

Their hopes of bouncing straight back following relegation from division two have not been helped by the ongoing injury to skipper Luke Wright and the absence of star all-rounder Chris Jordan.

But head coach Mark Davis admits they have also contributed to their disappointing start to the summer by being guilty of handing initiative to the other side on the opening day too often.

Sussex saw Northamptonshire reach 296-2 at the end of day one in the opening match at Wantage Road and Worcestershire racked up 382-4 in the previous match at New Road while in between Leicestershire bowled Sussex out for just 163.

In the two games where Sussex had the better of the first day - against Essex and the away match at Derbyshire - they had an opportunity to go on and claim victory only to be denied by a stubborn innings from England captain Alistair Cook and the weather.

Davis said: “Our objective will be to attack the game.

“It is important we win the first day as we have not done that too often so far this season and it sets the tone for the rest of the match.

“I’m tired of playing on the back foot.

“We showed lots of character to battle back for a draw in the last game at Worcestershire but I’d much rather we were on the front foot and playing aggressive cricket.”

Sussex have won just one of their last 17 games in the Championship but Davis can sense that the team is beginning to build up some momentum.

A spirited rearguard action at Worcestershire was followed by a morale-boosting victory in the opening game of the NatWest T20 Blast at Gloucestershire last Friday.

Davis added: “It might have only been a draw at Worcestershire but it felt like a win and the character we showed on that final day has given everybody a lot of confidence.

“We know we have got to play a lot better, especially with the ball, but the win at Bristol was another step in the right direction and so we will be looking to get on a bit of a roll now.”

Wright continues to be sidelined by a back injury so wicketkeeper Ben Brown will stand in as captain again while Jordan is not due to return from India until Monday.

Ajmal Shahzad returns to the squad after missing the last two Championship games due to a side strain but Ollie Robinson is a doubt as he continues to struggle with the shin splints that troubled him throughout the second half of last season.