Sussex's first-innings 385 began to look nothing more than a competitive total as Lancashire made a positive start to their reply on the second day at Hove.

Neither Mark Chilton nor Ian Sutcliffe looked in too much trouble as they closed in on half-centuries.

The slow pitch remains good for batting and a temptingly short boundary on the pavilion side persuaded both batsmen to go for their shots when the Sussex attack struggled with their line.

Skipper Chris Adams opened with Paul Hutchinson and Mushtaq Ahmed and Sutcliffe carefully negotiated a couple of testing overs from Mushtaq before the leg spinner gave way to Billy Taylor at the sea end.

Mushtaq returned to the attack in the 15th over, but by then the Lancashire pair had settled down and it was not long before Chilton brought up the 50 partnership with a boundary off Robin Martin-Jenkins in the 20th over.

The all-rounder proved expensive in a brief three-over burst down the slope, conceding three boundaries in his second over before Taylor took over at the Cromwell Road end.

The Lancashire openers had put on 99 in 35 overs when Mushtaq broke through, Sutcliffe falling to a bat-pad catch for 43.