IF at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again.

Sussex lived up to that old adage admirably at Hove yesterday.

ALewryless bowling attack kept on chipping away at the Gloucestershire batsmen when they were threatening to exploit to the full first use of a belting pitch.

The perseverance of Chris Adams' men was eventually rewarded during a determined post-lunch fightback.

With Jason Lewry still sidelined by his shoulder injury it looked a bad toss for Adams to lose on a dry, firm track originally earmarked for the washed out World Cup warm-up against the South Africans.

Following South Africa's thrilling triumph over India in front of a full house on Saturday there was an unmistakeable sense of after the Lord Mayor's show throughout a dull morning session.

Workmen were removing the World Cup seats while ex-England wicket-keeper Jack Russell and Tim Hancock made the most of Mark Alleyne's correct call.

They put on 97 in the second innings of Gloucestershire's defeat by Glamorgan earlier in the week and were virtually untroubled in going 16 runs better, all be it at a ponderous rate.

Hancock reached his second successive 50, and third of the season, in the last over before lunch from 118 balls, with seven fours.

Robin Martin-Jenkins epitomised Sussex's frustration when, soon after the resumption, he had a confident lbw appeal against Russell rejected.

He crouched Basil Fawlty fashion, then looked up to the heavens as he jogged back to fine leg.

It seemed as if it was going to be that sort of day for Sussex, but Martin-Jenkins' despair quickly turned to delight.

The Argus columnist bowled Hancock as he tried to drive, to the satisfaction no doubt of his watching father Christopher, the Times cricket correspondent.

If that wicket pleased dad the one which Martin-Jenkins claimed in the same over would have brought a smile to the face of his skipper.

Kim Barnett, a bitter rival of Adams during the dispute which ripped apart Derbyshire, was coming forward when he played on.

Three overs later the ever-willing Mark Robinson trapped England A prospect Matt Windows half forward, although umpire Barry Leadbeater deliberated for some time before raising his finger.

Umer Rashid, having dropped a return chance when Alleyne was on four, removed him in identical fashion at no great cost with a low, two-handed catch.

At that stage Sussex's persistence had pegged Gloucestershire back from 113-0 to 150-4, but throughout it all the quirky Russell stood tediously firm.

Anchoring the innings with typical tenacity, he crawled to his half century from 155 balls in more than three and a half hours, including four fours.

Ian Harvey, the visitors' fit-again Australian, was in the process of cutting loose after tea when Shaun Humphries snapped him up with an outstanding piece of work.

His lightning quick leg side stumping off the captain's bowling must have impressed the non-striker.

Russell finally fell to Adams, playing on after a 334-minute vigil. Jeremy Snape holed out to Martin-Jenkins at long leg in Adams' next over, clinching Championship-best figures with Sussex for the skipper.

An excellent effort by his team was rounded off when Rashid halted an annoying ninth wicket stand, Jonathan Lewis giving the active Martin-Jenkins another catch at mid-off.

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