Mike Yardy and Ashar Zaidi staged an impressive fightback to put Sussex on top after the opening day of their crucial Championship clash with Somerset.

The pair put on an unbroken stand of 132 for the seventh wicket to guide Sussex to 303-6 at the close at Hove.

Zaidi led the counter-attack with a 93-ball 90 while Yardy will resume in the morning on 60 in what is his final game at Hove before retiring at the end of the season.

The pair came together with Sussex in a spot of bother on 171-6 after Ed Joyce’s fine innings had come to an end on the stroke of tea and Ben Brown followed immediately afterwards.

Joyce had looked in imperious form as he reached 83 before being strangled down the leg side by Jamie Overton.

Somerset would have been hoping to bowl Sussex out cheaply at that point after as the hosts lost wickets at regular intervals after Joyce had won the toss and elected to bat first.

Luke Wells (13) was one of three batsman to be caught at second slip by Somerset skipper Marcus Trescothick along with Chris Nash (11) and Luke Wright (20).

Matt Machan made an entertaining 21 only to slap Jamie Overton straight to his brother Craig at cover just before lunch.

Brown will be similarly disappointed with his dismissal, getting a leading edge to a full toss from Jack Leach to be caught at cover for a duck.

Yardy helped steady the ship as he reached his 50th first class half century from 77 balls with eight fours before battening down the hatches.

Zaidi went on the attack as he raced to his 50 from just 56 balls – including ten fours – and went on to smash Allenby over the ropes for six.