James Kirtley offered more evidence that he is back to his best at Arundel yesterday, taking two key wickets on a day when Sussex had to work hard for their rewards against Essex.

The visitors closed a rain-affected second day on 234-6, still 31 runs behind with Stephen Peters unbeaten on 46.

Two division cricket may have its critics, but there is no doubt that the cut and thrust of a division where just 18 points seperates the top six counties is concentrating the minds of the players.

Essex's Darren Robinson has been accused of giving his wicket away cheaply in the past, but he stuck it out for nearly six hours to give his side every chance of taking a first innings lead in a match crucial to both sides.

Every run had to be earned as Sussex's bowlers maintained admirable control all day. And while Kirtley finished with the best figures he would be first to applaud the efforts of his team-mates, notably the luckless Mark Robinson.

Kirtley had struggled for rhythm in the first half of the season.

He was anxious in the opening weeks to build on the success he enjoyed during the England A tour last winter and admits he may have been straining too hard for an extra yard of pace.

But there were signs at Edgbaston last week, when he took 3-57 in 21 overs against Warwickshire, that he is back to something like his best.

Twice yesterday he came up with a wicket just when it looked as if Essex were starting to gain the upper hand and his post-tea spell was probably the quickest he has bowled this season.

"James is bowling wicket-taking balls again and that is good to see," said coach Peter Moores. "I thought after tea he bowled with real purpose and held his line really well."

It was a surprise that Chris Adams held Kirtley back until mid-afternoon.

Rain restricted the morning session to just five overs and when they resumed at 2pm the heavy, humid conditions seemed to be ideal for swing bowling.

Robinson and Stuart Law raised the 50 partnership for the third wicket in 23 watchful overs and when Robinson pushed Martin-Jenkins off the back foot through point it was his first boundary in 28 overs at the crease.

Even the normally aggressive Law was subdued for long periods and when he did go onto the offensive it proved his downfall.

Martin-Jenkins dug one in slightly short of a length, Law was too early on the hook and Andy Patterson got his gloves under a skier.

Law's 40 came in a second wicket stand of 79 spanning 44 overs.

Sussex weren't helped by the umpires' refusal to change a ball which quickly went soft and out of shape on the damp outfield, a problem which they have encountered regularly with the Duke balls this season.

But this side never throws in the towel and their perseverance paid off when Kirtley took the key wicket of skipper Ronnie Irani for 21 when he nibbled at a ball which bounced and left him outside off stump.

At that stage Essex were still 128 behind and one more wicket would have exposed their long tail.

But Robinson dropped anchor in partnership with Peters although he was reprieved shortly after reaching only his second half-century of the season when his namesake couldn't cling onto a difficult return catch when the ball was driven past his left hand.

It just about summed up Robinson the bowler's day.

Two overs later Peters feathered a defensive push only for the edge to be shelled by Patterson and the bowler must have lost count of the number of times he beat the bat.

On other days he could have picked up three or four wickets.

When he took his sweater he had figures of 19-8-23-0 and they certainly didn't flatter him.

Robinson resisted for six-and-a-quarter hours, facing 189 balls and hitting six fours before Kirtley caught him at the third attempt off his own bowling when he stopped on an on drive.

That made Essex 177-5, but still they refused to bend the knee. Peters and Barry Hyam added another 33 precious runs for the sixth wicket when Martin-Jenkins struck.

It was a surprise that the tall all-rounder hadn't been utilised at the bouncy Castle End before.

In the sixth over of his third spell he duly surprised Hyam with extra lift and Richard Montgomerie clung on to an instinctive catch at short leg.

The second day crowd at the Castle Ground was disappointing although morning rain would have kept quite a few spectators away.

Thirty overs were lost in total which means Sussex have now lost nearly 1,000 this season, the equivalent of nearly ten days of Championship cricket. But, weather permitting, this game is destined for an interesting finish.

"It is developing into a good contest," said Moores.

"Our first job must be to get a lead and if they get in front to restrict it to as few runs as possible. I think it's going to turn and the bounce might start to get a bit unreliable so a reasonable total in the fourth innings might take some getting."