A lot of hard work lies ahead before the Championship winners' pennant is fluttering over the County Ground for the first time.

Entertaining centuries from captain Andrew Strauss and Owais Shah appeared to put Middlesex in a strong position on the first day at Hove.

On occasions during the afternoon, while the Middlesex pair were putting on 219 in 46 overs for the third wicket, it seemed only regular updates of title rivals Surrey's demise at Kent were sustaining Sussex's self belief.

But while Mushtaq Ahmed is bowling there is always hope and, as he has done so often this season, the little leg spinner duly came to their rescue.

He wheeled away unchanged for 31 overs from the Cromwell Road End apart from the tea break, although before the interval it appeared luck had deserted him for once.

Figures of 0-113 from 26 overs reflected the struggles he had had against the succession of left-handers in Middlesex's top six but, once he had broken through with the wicket of Ed Joyce in his first over after tea, Mushtaq was his irrepressible self again.

The key wicket of Owais Shah, who made a superb 140, followed four overs later and, with the tail exposed, Mushtaq licked his lips in anticipation of more rich pickings.

Sure enough, he took four of the last five wickets to fall in just 17 deliveries at a personal cost of three runs as Middlesex subsided from the relative prosperity of 374-5 to 392 all out, their last five falling for 18 in 27 balls.

It was still a decent total of course, but Mushtaq had at least given Sussex time to compile something even bigger when they began their reply this morning.

The pitch was typical of so many at Hove this season. Even Strauss and Shah struggled early on but, once they got used to its slowness, they played attacking shots on both sides of the wicket with increasing confidence.

Strauss's fourth hundred of the season, which took his Championship average past 50, may have earned him a place in England's winter tours while Shah was no less impressive.

A Middlesex side safe from relegation and with little except pride to play for appeared to be the ideal opponent, but the pair relished ideal batting conditions once they had negotiated a testing new ball spell from Jason Lewry.

Steamy morning heat encouraged Lewry to swing the ball and figures of 2-10 from his first nine overs, five of which were maidens, did not flatter.

He bowled Sven Koenig and trapped Ben Hutton plum in front with one which moved back late, so much so that the batsman was already walking back to the pavilion before umpire Roy Palmer had upheld the leg before appeal.

If Palmer had raised his digit again in the next over the day might have been very different.

Lewry deflected a straight drive from Shah on to the stumps at the non-striker's end and, from side on, it looked as if Strauss, on 23 at the time, did not ground his bat in time.

It all happened in a split second, of course, and Palmer had to give the batsman the benefit of the doubt, but it must have been very close.

Mushtaq was soon into the attack, but Strauss and Shah played him as well as any batsman has this season. Strauss scored heavily against him on the leg side, going to his half-century with three sweetly-timed boundaries, one of which clattered into the pavilion.

Both reached 50 off 75 balls but it was Strauss who accelerated after lunch to reach his century off a further 45 deliveries with a sweep off Mushtaq.

Shah was no less impressive with some handsome front foot drives as they rattled along at nearly five an over.

The announcement that Surrey were having to follow on at Canterbury seemed to galvanise the bowlers, however.

Robin Martin-Jenkins was rewarded when Strauss, looking to drive through mid-wicket, got a leading edge to cover after hitting 21 fours and a six and facing 172 balls.

Ed Joyce was leg before to a top-spinner in Mushtaq's first over after the break while Shah was not the first batsman this season to pad up to his googly and he will not be the last. Shah faced 208 balls and hit 15 fours and a six.

Paul Weekes and David Nash added 40 for the fifth wicket without too many alarms but, when Nash was caught at slip aiming an expansive drive, Middlesex fell in a heap.

The wickets of Weekes, Chad Keegan and Joe Dawes made it 95 for the season as Mushtaq picked up his tenth five-for of an incredible summer.

Some time on Sunday or Monday expect him to become the first bowler in five years to take 100 in the season.

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