Sussex struggled after winning the toss and choosing to bat first against Leicestershire at the Fischer County Ground.

Pakistan international seamer Muhammad Abbas, making his debut for the Foxes, bowled an outstanding opening spell, conceding just four runs from seven overs and taking one of the three wickets to fall during the opening session.

Sussex openers Luke Wells and Phillip Salt received very few bad balls as they battled through the first hour. Wells faced 25 balls in scoring two runs, and had been hit on the helmet by Abbas before he edged Ben Raine to wicket-keeper Lewis Hill.

If that was a straightforward catch for Hill, the catch he took to dismiss Salt off Abbas in the following over was anything but, a thick edge flying towards first slip, but the wicketkeeper took it beautifully two-handed to his right.

Harry Finch dug in, but in the final over before lunch drove loosely at a Neil Dexter out-swinger, failed to keep the ball down, and saw Colin Ackermann take a smart catch at gully.

Stiaan van Zyl was 13 not out at lunch and is being joined by Luke Wright.