Phil Salt turned on the fireworks at Hove today – and it might just have set up Sussex for a key win in the promotion chase.

Sussex, thanks largely to Salt’s big quickfire ton, set Derbyshire 405 to win after pulling out with seven overs to go today. The visitors reached 6-0 by close.

Derbyshire are batting with ten men after seamer Ravi Rampaul withdrew from the match with breathing difficulties.

The balance of what had been an even contest was dramatically tilted by home openers Salt and Luke Wells, who put on 191 in 31.5 overs against the weakened Derbyshire attack as Rampaul headed home for medical tests.

That added to a first innings lead of 51, secured when David Wiese took the last two wickets to fall with consecutive balls.

Ollie Robinson also produced an improved spell this morning to finish with 3-77.

Then the batsmen took centre stage, initially by getting through five overs before lunch.

Salt went from 11 to 119 in the afternoon session – and Sussex piled up 191 in that time – to open a lead approaching 250.

A career best 148 from Salt came off 138 balls and featured 14 fours and five sixes.

He produced an array of attacking shots to take the game away from the visitors.

But the more classical Wells was not far behind for a long time with 78 from 102 deliveries, including ten fours and a six.

Wiese and Jofra Archer were each pushed a place up the order to push on for the declaration and Archer fired 31 from 19 balls as Sussex reached 353-6.