Jonathan Trott continued his comeback from a stress-related illness to prevent Sussex taking a stranglehold in their Championship clash with Warwickshire at Horsham.

Trott made his second consecutive half century as Warwickshire reached 163-3 at the close in reply to Sussex’s first innings total of 413.

The former England batsman put on 125 with skipper Varun Chopra after Warwickshire had lost Ian Westwood and Will Porterfield cheaply.

Steve Magoffin made the initial breakthrough as Westwood gloved a lifter to Chris Jordan at first slip with Lewis Hatchett then strangling Porterfield down the leg side.

Chopra would have been run out for 23 if Luke Wells’ throw from point had hit the stumps but went on to reach his first 50 in 14 first class innings from 110 balls.

The Bears captain eventually fell when he was caught behind driving at a good length ball from Hatchett having made 81.

Trott looked his belligerent self as he reached his 50 from 106 balls and then dropped anchor. At the close he was 62 from 149 deliveries.

He did enjoy a little fortune as a loud caught behind shout off Steffan Piolet was turned down when he was on 21 and then he was dropped behind the stumps by Ben Brown on 58.

Earlier, Sussex had claimed a fourth batting point as Brown and James Tredwell put on 71 for the eighth wicket.

Jeetan Patel had Tredwell caught behind for 33 before Boyd Rankin dismissed Brown for 48 after lunch and then added the wicket of Hatchett for a second ball duck.