Mushtaq Ahmed played another match-winning hand at the Rose Bowl as Sussex cruised to their first Championship win of the season against Hampshire.

One of Mushtaq's intentions this season is to make more of a contribution with the ball during the early weeks when his hands seem to be permanently cold and pitches are generally unresponsive.

But even he could not have imagined he would finish with 7-64 here, the best figures of his Sussex career. Wasn't this pitch meant to be a seamer's paradise?

By varying his pace more than usual he lured four Hampshire batsmen to their demise in 24 balls before tea to wreck their middle order. Five of his victims were lbw, all given by former Hampshire all-rounder Trevor Jesty.

The hosts were eventually dismissed for 206 and defeat by 95 runs.

Hampshire were well placed at 144-3 in their pursuit of a target of 306 with Michael Carberry and Dominic Thornely posting their first half-century stand of the contest.

But the game began to tilt Sussex's way in the 38th over when left-hander Carberry played on as he tried to force through the off side off the back foot.

Nic Pothas shuffled in front of the stumps two overs later and in his next over Mushtaq pushed the ball through a bit quicker to get past Sean Ervine's tentative defences.

Then, in the last over before tea, Dimitri Mascerenhas failed to pick Mushtaq's googly and at 164-7 Hampshire must have sensed the game was up.

Mushtaq mopped up the tail after tea, taking the last three wickets to claim the 21st five-for of his Sussex career with Chris Tremlett last out after he had spoiled his figures slightly by twice lofting him over the boundary for six.

It wasn't all about Mushtaq but once the little man was into his stride most of the Hampshire batsmen had no idea how to combat him.

The much criticised Rose Bowl pitch remained unreliable on the third day but there was a marked change in the mindset of batsmen on both sides which made for some good entertainment even before Mushtaq's star turn.

Batsmen went for their shots instead of adopting a defensive approach and Robin Martin-Jenkins led the way with a sparkling 91 off 97 balls with 15 boundaries to push Sussex's lead beyond 300.

They overcame the loss of skipper Chris Adams in the first over to rattle up 113 runs in just 22 overs before Martin-Jenkins was last out nine short of what would have been a deserved century.

The 30-year-old's place in the Championship side is under threat from Luke Wright and competition for his place has clearly re-invigorated him with both bat and ball.

He was Sussex's best bowler in the opening game against Warwickshire last week and yesterday he made his highest score for two years and his best in five Championship games against Hampshire.

The hosts' attack lacked a cutting edge after Tremlett limped off nursing a sore ankle and Martin-Jenkins led the charge with some eye-catching attacking shots on both sides of the wicket.

Wright kept him company for ten overs and together they put on 60 before Wright got over-ambitious and was caught on the boundary off a top-edged pull.

The tail gave Martin-Jenkins excellent support and even last man Jason Lewry seemed determined to hang around long enough to see his teammate through to a hundred.

But with the landmark tantalisingly in sight Martin-Jenkins tried to hook a ball from James Bruce which climbed unexpectedly on him and Carberry ended up taking the catch running in from cover.

He had scored 75 runs in the morning session, a contribution every bit as important as Mushtaq's in the context of a low-scoring match and good news in the long term for Sussex.

Hampshire openers Michael Brown and Jimmy Adams looked unruffled as they put on 33 before Richard Montgomerie took a catch at short leg off Adams' firm push.

Thornely was dropped by the diving Adams when he had not scored and Andrew Hodd missed a stumping chance when the Australian was on 20.

Both he and Carberry were starting to look the part, adding 67 in 16 overs when Mushtaq began to cast his spell.