James Vince stood firm to give Hampshire the edge against Sussex at the end another wicket-laden day of Championship cricket at Hove.

Vince was 52 not out as Hampshire closed on 116-4 in reply to Sussex’s disappointing total of 251 after Ed Joyce had won the toss and elected to bat.

Chris Nash and Luke Wright looked to have put Sussex in a strong position with a partnership of 115 for the fifth wicket only for the last six wickets to fall for just 49 runs.

The pitch is at Hove is certain to come under further scrutiny with 14 wickets falling in a day but poor shots were to blame for many of the dismissals.

Mike Yardy and Luke Wells made encouraging start before the introduction of Gareth Berg swung the morning session in Hampshire’s favour.

Berg dismissed Wells for 17 with only his fourth ball down the hill and followed it up by removing Yardy for 41 and Joyce for nine – all to catches in the slips.

Jackson Bird overcame a poor start with the ball on his Championship debut Hampshire to trap Matt Machan lbw for 13 with a ball which kept low.

Wright and Nash went on the attack as Sussex rebuilt either side of tea as they added 115 in under 21 overs.

Wright brought up his fourth Championship half century of the season from 71 balls and then smashed James Vince for a six.

But Sussex’s innings unravelled when Nash and Wright departed in successive balls.

Nash was furious with himself as he fell two short of his 50 when he pulled a ball from Vince straight to the man on the square leg boundary.

Wright was unlucky to get a delivery from Danny Briggs which turned sharply and found the edge of his bat.

Ollie Robinson became Berg’s fourth victim when he edged to first slip having made six and Ben Brown followed it similar fashion to Fidel Edwards.

Bird wrapped up the innings by removing debutant Fynn Hudson-Prentice – who looped a catch to mid-off when he mis-timed a pull - for 15 while Steve Magoffin became the seventh man to be caught in the slips having made 11.

Sussex enjoyed a stroke of luck in their quest for early wickets as Jimmy Adams was run out when backing up - Steve Magoffin getting a fingertip to a drive from Sean Terry on to the stumps.

Terry was dropped by Mike Yardy on 20 and had moved to 30 when he was well caught by Nash off the bowling of Ollie Robinson.

Robinson also picked up the wicket of Will Smith when he pinned him lbw for seven while Magoffin produced a peach of a delivery to have Michael Carberry caught behind for 14.