Chris Nash is up and running after a foot injury – with an undefeated 76 before lunch at Hove.
Nash, who missed pre-season and the curtailed Championship opener at Northampton, sent Sussex off to the most sound of starts as division two action got under way at Hove today.
He helped the county reach 112-0 at lunch from 31 overs with Ed Joyce adding 32 against Essex.
Nash in particular made the most of Essex’s decision to request a toss, which Sussex then won.
He reached 50 at just a couple of minutes past noon under blue skies and on a good batting strip with a short pavilion-side boundary.
The half century came off 52 balls and included 11 fours - four of them in the second over delivered by Australian seamer Matt Dixon - and added a further four boundaries by lunch.
Joyce had a scare on three when he was dropped at third slip by Jesse Ryder off Jamie Porter, the right-arm seamer who was the most troublesome of the Essex attack.
Sussex are wearing Matt Hobden's name and number today
But it was generally a very comfortable first session for the home county.
Play was preceded by a tree-planting ceremony in memory of former Sussex star Matt Hobden, who died during the close season.
There was also a minute’s silence before the first ball was bowled.
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