Delray Rawlins gave Sussex something to cheer with bat and ball on his return to the side.

But they are still well adrift of Durham after day two of the Specsavers County Championship match at Hove.

Sussex were 2-3 early on but closed on 231-9, 153 behind, after Rawlins reached 56 not out, only his second Championship half-century.

He put on 109 with David Wiese, an eighth-wicket record between these two sides, before the South African fell for 56.

Rawlins went to his 50 with a huge six over long-on, his second maximum of th day.

Earlier, he helped wrap up the Durham tail by taking 3-19.

Resuming on 259-5 on the second morning, the visitors were all out for 384.

Cameron Bancroft and Ned Eckersley took their partnership to 281, a new sixth-wicket record for the club.

Then Sussex battled back, taking the last five Durham wickets for 12 runs in 32 deliveries. Two balls after the partnership record was broken, Luke Wells took a sharp return catch to dismiss Eckersley, whose 118 came from 237 balls, with 14 fours. It was his first championship century for two years.

In the following over, Bancroft was out. Attempting to sweep, he was lbw to Rawlins for 158, from 305 balls, with 13 fours and a six.

Rawlins and Will Beer wrapped up the innings. Slow left-armer Rawlins finished with 3-19 – the first time he had taken more than one wicket in an innings.

The Sussex top order, without the injured Phil Salt and with others out of form, has been misfiring and here they were soon in trouble.

Wells hung out his bat and nicked Chris Rushworth to first slip, Beer was lbw to a yorker from Brydon Carse and Harry Finch was also lbw, failing to get forward to a pitched up delivery from Rushworth for a duck.

Laurie Evans looked in prime form before he was caught down the leg-side off James Weighell for 20. And just before tea key batsman Stiaan van Zyl was bowled off stump by Gareth Harte for 34.

Ben Brown was caught at mid-on off the second ball after tea and, when Chris Jordan was caught at slip for six, Sussex were 110-7.