Skipper Ed Joyce was leading Sussex out of their first mini-crisis of the season today.

Joyce (30 not out) and Craig Cachopa (20 not out) took the county to 68-3 at lunch on day one of their Championship opener.

Sussex were reduced to 22-3 after choosing to bat first against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.

But Joyce and Cachopa had started to combine a few attacking shots with their watchful defence as they restored a degree of respectability by the first interval.

Home debutant Gareth Berg was Sussex's main tormentor, taking two wickets with his first seven balls for the county he joined from Middlesex during the winter.

Joyce opted to bat first under blue skies but on a green pitch.

Luke Wells was bowled by James Tomlinson for a 23-minute nought.

Then Berg, whose 2014 season was wrecked by a serious shoulder injury, took over.

He bowled Chris Nash for 11 with his first delivery for the club and removed Mike Yardy at the start of his next over.

Yardy was taken low to his left by diving wicketkeeper Adam Wheater for just six.

That left Joyce leading the resistance and a couple of beautifully timed fours through the covers in the same Chris Wood over offered just a bit of relief in what was a tough hour or so  for Sussex.

Cachopa caught the mood and pulled Tomlinson for six to the short square-leg boundary.

The hosts gave spinners Danny Briggs and Liam Dawson chance to turn their arms over just before lunch.