Sussex are in need of wickets at Hove this afternoon.

Dawid Malan and Nick Gubbins dominated the third morning of the Specsavers County Championship division two match against Middlesex at Hove.

Middlesex didn’t lose a wicket in the sweltering morning session and reached lunch on 171-2, wiping out their side’s 93-run first innings deficit and earning a lead of 78 with eight wickets in hand.

At the interval, Malan was unbeaten on 87, with Gubbins on 71, and their unbroken third wicket partnership was worth 162.

Middlesex had resumed on 64-2, still 29 runs behind Sussex, with Malan 34 and Gubbins 22.

Both batsmen were in commanding form, Malan square-driving David Wiese to reach his 50.

But Sussex did miss the one chance they were given when Gubbins, on 35, was dropped behind by Ben Brown, who had dived in front of first slip in his effort to take the catch.