Ollie Robinson took five Middlesex wickets for 33 runs for Sussex in the opening session of their Specsavers County Championship division two match at Hove.

Sussex dropped three catches but they did not prove expensive after Middlesex had chosen to bat on a lively pitch.

Robinson broke through in the fifth over when he removed Nick Gubbins’ middle stump as the batsman played a crooked shot to leg. Gubbins (8) was playing his first match of the season after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Robinson dismissed the other opener, Sam Robson (10), in his next over, having the batsman caught behind to one that moved away.

Sussex missed their first chance when Stevie Eskinazi, on 28, was dropped by Phil Salt at backward point off George Garton. Eskinazi had added ten runs before he was dropped again, this time in the slips off Robinson.

The hosts put down their third catch when Hilton Cartwright, on two, was dropped behind, a difficult diving attempt to the wicketkeeper’s left off David Wiese.

But Eskinazi failed to profit from his second reprieve. He had not added to his score when he was lbw to Robinson and the same bowler had Cartwright caught in the slips for four. Finally, Robinson had Dawid Malan lbw for 13.