Sussex were revived by another Pakistani at Hove yesterday, just when the absence of Mushtaq Ahmed was beginning to hurt.

Kent were steaming towards Sussex's first innings 399 thanks to some highclass strokeplay from Darren Stevens and Matt Walker's more pragmatic approach.

But Yasir Arafat bent his back in a heroic 14-over spell after tea down the slope which brought him three wickets and left Sussex just in the ascendancy with two days to go in their Championship tussle as Kent closed on 295-6.

An attack missing their principal matchwinner for the first time since he joined the county in 2003 was always going to find it hard to adjust. For four hours, while Stevens and Walker were in control, Sussex got a glimpse of what a future without Mushtaq might be like and they will not have enjoyed the experience.

It can only be speculated as to how different things could have been had Mushtaq been wheeling away for much of yesterday on a dry, slow pitch offering just enough turn to keep him interested.

But the fact he was not on the teamsheet on Thursday morning would have given Kent's batsmen, who have struggled against him more than most in the past four seasons, an instant confidence boost.

At 36, the end of Mushy's career is nearer than the start and if he plays beyond next season, when his current contract expires, it will be a surprise.

Sussex cannot rely on him forever and replacing him is clearly in their long-term plans.

In the short-term they put their faith in Ollie Rayner but it was a difficult baptism in Championship cricket for the 21-year-old off-spinner who only bowled six overs on his previous appearance at Horsham last month.

There was an encouraging cheer among the close cordon when Rayner spun his first delivery sharply out of the rough but Stevens was soon relishing his role as Hove's equivalent of the playground bully.

In his next over he struck Rayner for successive sixes, the second a massive straight hit which cleared the Gilligan Stand.

Then Stevens plonked him over the fence at mid-wicket to reach his half-century. Take those 18 runs away and the phlegmatic Rayner's figures were respectable and he will have learned much from the experience.

Stevens has not really kicked on as many people thought he would after making his maiden hundred against Sussex at Arundel for his former county Leicestershire in 1999 but he played some high-class shots yesterday, particularly off the front foot.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 188 in 45 overs of which Stevens contributed 118 before falling leg-before to Arafat in the over after the Pakistani had been ticked off by umpire Vanburn Holder for bowling a high full toss which struck Walker on his right hand. Stevens faced 153 balls and hit 13 boundaries including four in a row to move from 97 to 113.

Dwayne Bravo, who played with typical Caribbean flamboyance, took on one Arafat short ball too many and holed out to fine leg while Walker's vigil ended when he fished outside off stump, having faced 186 balls and hit 11 fours.

It was an outstanding effort by Arafat who seemed happy enough to carry on through the session.

Kent found progress fairly easy once had recovered from an uncomfortable start.

In a mirror image of Sussex's first innings, a wicket fell to the first ball when Jason Lewry pinned David Fulton.

James Kirtley then claimed his first Championship wicket of the season at Hove when Martin van Jaarsveld lost his off stump playing down the wrong line and a comical mix-up involving Walker and Rob Key ended with the Kent captain stumped by a yard after his partner failed to respond to his call for a leg bye.

Sussex's last two wickets put on 91 but, when Kirtley played across a straight one, they were left one run short of claiming maximum batting points for the second time this season.

Kirtley, whose 36 occupied 117 balls, helped Yardy put on 69 in 26 overs before the left-hander gloved a lifter from Amjad Khan, having batted for a shade over seven hours for his 134, which included 13 fours.

Sussex's hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of the Second XI Trophy were ended when rivals Hampshire beat them by five wickets. Sussex's score of 178-9 having been sent in was not enough to fully extend Hampshire at Bournemouth Sports Club. Jono McLean set up Hampshire's win by hitting 71. Sean Heather made most progress for Sussex with 63, while trialist Imran Tahir struck 38 not out.