Second-placed Sussex grabbed six mid-session wickets to leave Kent in deep trouble on 176-8 at tea on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship second division clash in Canterbury.

Having gone in at lunch sitting relatively comfortably on 97-2, Kent stumbled after the break in the face of an excellent pace-bowling stint by South African, David Wiese, who went in at tea with fine figures of 4-40.

It was the 32-year-old right-armer from Roodepoort who accounted for both Kent’s third-wicket partners Heino Kuhn and Joe Denly after their handy 75-run stand inside 21 overs.

Denly was caught behind on the hook, while Kuhn, after hitting 11 fours in a fluent 60, pushed inside the line of a leg-cutter to also edge to the Sussex keeper Ben Brown.

Adam Rouse (0) fenced outside off to steer a low catch to Harry Finch at second slip, then Zak Crawley (7) gloved a third successive bumper from Ollie Robinson through to the keeper.

Isham Sharma replaced Wiese at the Nackington Road End and came to the party with two more Kentish wickets. Harry Podmore (6) pushed down the wrong line to have off stump pegged back then Matt Henry (8) tamely chipped one to mid-on to leave Kent in danger of missing out on their first batting bonus point of the season.