Apart from a mad half-hour in mid-afternoon when they lost five wickets in seven overs, Sussex have stood toe to toe with champions Durham over two absorbing days at Hove.

And no one epitomised the battling qualities Sussex are going to need in the post-Mushtaq era than Luke Wright and Andrew Hodd.

When they came together Sussex were 109-5 and the follow-on target of 231 looked some way off, never mind Durham’s first innings 380.

But neither yielded, particularly when Stephen Harmison roared in after tea trying to finish off the good work of Liam Plunkett, who wrecked their top order with three wickets in 17 balls.

Cashing in every time Harmison and Durham’s heavy-duty seam attack over-pitched or strayed outside off stump they transformed the day with a rollicking sixth-wicket stand of 150 from just 38 overs, more than half of the runs coming in boundaries.

What is more they seemed to relish batting with each other, hugging like long-lost brothers with every small milestone they ticked off.

It all ended the ball after they had brought up the 150 stand when Wright slog-swept to square leg, his Championship best 67 coming off 114 balls with nine fours.

But Hodd regrouped with Robin Martin-Jenkins and will resume today having so far faced 136 balls for his 84 which has included ten boundaries.

Wright has been shunted up and down Sussex’s order in the last couple of seasons but now looks settled balancing the side at No. 6. There has never been any doubt about Hodd’s ability as a batsman – he started the season with a first-class average of 36 – and yesterday he played with the confidence of someone who knows that he is going to get a long run in the side now whether Matt Prior is available or not.

Hodd kept superbly in the first innings while Wright was happy to shoulder the burden with the ball in the morning when namesake Damien went off after bowling 17 balls with a side injury which could prevent him bowling in the second innings.

Durham’s last three wickets added 62 in 21 overs with Wright, who is now offering the control to be able to bowl long spells, uprooting Mitchell Claydon’s off stump and Ollie Rayner picking up the other two, leaving Liam Plunkett high and dry six short of his maiden first-class hundred, having faced 184 balls with eight fours.

For a while Sussex’s openers made batting look as comfortable as it had been for Durham’s No. 8 as they scored at four runs an over. But the pitch was covered for ten minutes during a short rain break and when they resumed Plunkett suddenly got some extra seam movement. Nash’s off stump was sent cartwheeling 15 yards, Murray Goodwin pushed forward and got a big nick and Rory Hamilton-Brown wafted wastefully outside off stump.

When Claydon had Ed Joyce caught down the leg side it meant Sussex’s 3,4 and 5 had lasted a collective ten balls and all gone for ducks.

Yardy lodged his first half-century of the season from 91 balls with six fours but when he played round a fullish-length ball from Claydon the Sussex supporters feared the worst.

Wright and Hodd changed the mood though to leave this game evenly poised with two days to go.