Jason Lewry made a badly needed breakthrough to put the brakes on Kent's batsmen.

Kent were threatening to bat Sussex out of contention on the second day of the Championship match at Hove today before Lewry trapped Ealham leg before with late inswing.

Ealham, who needed painkillers before the start after he ricked his knee walking down the pavilion steps last night, and Ed Smith extended their sixth wicket stand to 86 from 32 overs.

Smith guided Kent to their first batting bonus point as his side reached 205-6 in the 74th over.

Kent resumed this morning on 152-5, a lead of seven, and initially Sussex's bowlers made it hard work for them.

The only run conceded in the first 25 minutes was a bye off Billy Taylor as Taylor and Robin Martin-Jenkins reeled off six maidens on the trot.

Smith broke free in the 61st over when he collected successive boundaries through square after Martin-Jenkins had drifted onto leg stump.

In his next over Martin-Jenkins conceded two more boundaries to Ealham who guided him through the slips and then drove him off the front foot through point.

Lewry promptly replaced him at the Sea End while Kevin Innes came on for Taylor in a double bowling change. It did the trick with Lewry capturing his third wicket of the innings in the third over of his spell.