John Simpson savoured an “amazing feeling” after his first double century helped Sussex take charge of their Championship match at Leicestershire.

Simpson finished on 205 not out, having shared a seventh-wicket partnership of 255 with Danny Lamb, whose 134 was also a career-best.

Ari Karvelas came in at No.10 to crack 55 off 40 balls.

All that after Fynn Hudson-Prentice had taken a career best five for 50 and Tom Haines scored 108, his second successive century with which to start the season.

Simpson said: “It is an amazing feeling to get a double hundred.

“It was a very special moment. It is nice to get accolades but I was actually going to declare at tea. But Farby (coach Paul Farbrace) said ‘No, keep going, you deserve a double hundred’.

“It was hard work in the last session on day two. When the Kookaburra ball gets softer and they set straight fields it becomes a little bit more difficult to score but you can see that once you get the ball how easy it pings off the bat.

“The double hundred hasn’t really sunk in yet because when I came off it was a case of swapping one set of pads for another and getting my captain’s head on to find the right combinations to get wickets this evening."

Simpson was also delighted for Lamb and added: “You can see already how popular Danny is in the dressing room.#

"He is a naturally aggressive player and we just told him to go out there and play his own game, take the game on.

"For him  to score a run-a-ball hundred on that pitch was an incredible effort."

Sussex will push for a win today although the weather forecast is not promising.