Mushtaq Ahmed removed Northamptonshire skipper David Sales just when he was threatening to inflict even more pain on the Sussex bowlers at Hove today.

Sales quickly went on the attack on the second morning of the Championship match, adding a further 18 runs to his overnight 153 in 25 minutes.

After Gerard Brophy had collected two boundaries off James Kirtley in the first over, Sales came down the pitch to belt his second ball of the day from Mushtaq back over the leg spinner's head for his third six.

He repeated the shot in the next over although this time the ball bounced just short of the rope.

The sixth-wicket partnership had been worth 95 in 23 overs with 30 added in even time today when Sussex enjoyed some success.

Sales missed an attempted sweep off Mushtaq and umpire Mervyn Kitchen finally upheld a leg-before appeal. It ended an innings four minutes shy of six hours during which Sales had hit 22 fours and three sixes from 289 balls faced.

Sussex's Director of Cricket described the first day's play at Hove as the best so far in defence of their Championship title.

Moores was delighted with his team's efforts onn a pitch which gave the bowlers little encouragement.

He said: "It's been the best day of the season for me because from the first ball to the last we really went at it.

"The bowlers worked hard and we threw ourselves around the field. We can't do much more than that to be honest. If we keep playing like that in both one-day and four-day cricket then we will do well."