Phil Salt admits he was “gutted” not to make the England one-day team after scoring a century in a warm-up match.

But he is taking out his frustrations on the Bob Willis Trophy.

Salt, who played Big Bash cricket in Adelaide in the winter, likes hitting the red ball too, as he showed by adding 80 to his first innings 68 on the second day of match against Hampshire at Hove.

Sussex go into day three on 155-6, a lead of 178, with Salt’s wicket one of three they lost late yesterday.

The first two days of this match have seen fit and energetic bowlers – not always the case in August – getting the better of out of touch batsmen on a decent batting track.

But Salt has been the exception in both innings, dominating an earnest and varied Hampshire attack to place his Sussex side in a dominating position before quick wickets fell at the end of the day to leave the result in the balance.

Salt said: “It was a shame to lose three quick wickets at the end but we’re very much in the driving seat.

“The surface is pretty good. It’s a bit on the slow side. But it’s been a good cricket wicket and now it’s started to turn as well, with some rough, so I’m looking forward to seeing Jack Carson out there.

“I would have bitten your arm to be in the situation we’re in now. We’d like another 70-80 runs.

“As for me, I like to put the bowlers under pressure. You get more bad balls that way.

“I was gutted not to get in the England squad after scoring that century but it was a great experience just to be involved with the squad.”

How cricket returned to Hove

Salt, 24 later this month, dominated the 16-over opening partnership of 60 runs with Tom Haines, though he was fortunate not to be caught and bowled by James Fuller when he had made just 20.

He lost Haines, who was lbw to Ian Holland for 20. But that didn’t put off Salt as he reached his 50 off 61 balls by lifting the off-spinner Felix Organ over square-leg for six.

He led the way as Sussex built on their slender first innings lead of 23. But with two days left in the match this was a self-restrained innings by his galloping standards.

Sussex lost their second wicket at 90, when Harry Finch was lbw to Holland for a 35-ball ten.

Then Tom Clark was caught behind off Keith Barker for four to make it 99-3 in the 33rd over.

Hampshire did not turn to the leg-spinner Mason Crane, who had bowled impressively in the first innings, until Sussex were 115-3.

By now Salt had been joined by his captain Ben Brown, who scored a sprightly 25 before he was caught at short-leg from a delivery that turned and bounced from Organ to make it 142-4.

Jack Carson was caught behind first-ball off Crane, who was causing many problems along with fellow spinner Organ.

In the penultimate over of the day Salt lost his wicket, belting Organ to Fuller at mid-on. He had faced 134 balls and hit six fours and a six.

Hampshire resumed in the morning on 77-4 and the first wicket fell after almost 40 minutes of play when their captain, Sam Northeast, edged Mitch Claydon and Salt took a good catch, low down, at first slip. Northeast had added just seven runs to his overnight 14.

Hampshire’s top-scorer scorer was Harry Came, with a tenacious 25 which occupied 80 minutes and 67 deliveries.

He is playing only his second first-class match – his first was as a concussion substitute - and is the son of the Hampshire committee member and former second eleven player Peter Came.

(Additional reporting by Paul Weaver).