Neil Dexter kept Middlesex on course for their third successive County Championship victory with four wickets to undermine Sussex’s pursuit of 287 at Hove.

Dexter took 4-28 in ten overs as Sussex reached 147-6 at tea, still needing 140 to win.

Sussex were going well at 92-1 when Dexter struck twice in seven deliveries. Matt Machan (29) drove his second ball to mid on before he picked up the key wicket of Ed Joyce for a duck when the Sussex skipper nibbled fatally outside off stump.

Craig Cachopa (18) was bowled by a break-back from Steven Finn that also kept low before Dexter struck again when Luke Wright was bowled by one which may have deviated off one of the cracks on the surface.

Sussex’s hopes rested with opener Mike Yardy, who scored his first half-century of the season and first of the match. But with the last ball before tea he fell for 52, well caught by wicketkeeper John Simpson off a feint inside edge to give Dexter his fourth wicket.

Yardy had put on 56 with Chris Nash to give Sussex a confident start before Nash edged Toby Roland-Jones to second slip.