Mike Yardy maintained his superb early season form with a third century as Sussex's batsmen did much as they pleased against Bangladesh's Test match attack at Hove yesterday.

The left-hander eclipsed his previous highest score of 115 with a chanceless 180 not out as Sussex piled up 412-3 from 90 overs.

Ian Botham's opinion that Bangladesh are no better than a minor county might be a bit harsh but on yesterday's evidence it is hard to see them giving England any sort of contest when the two-Test series starts at Lord's on Thursday week, no matter how many English batsmen are struggling for form.

There were a couple of honourable exceptions.

Bowlers not used to the Hove slope usually struggle down the hill but Bangladesh's 18-year-old spearhead Shahadat Hossain was more of a threat once he had switched to the Cromwell Road end.

On a pitch with a bit more pace than usual he gave all the Sussex batsmen the hurry-up on occasions.

His new ball partner Mashrafe Mortaza got some lateral movement but the three Sussex batsmen who lost their wickets contributed largely to their own downfall which says a lot about the threat posed by the tourists' attack.

The day, as so many have so far this season, belonged to Yardy who advanced to his career-best with few alarms.

He has scored 27 boundaries in five hours at the crease so far, the majority of them driven with ease on either side of the wicket.

Some handsome back foot shots offered evidence of how much more he has extended his range of strokes this year and once established there was never seemed any doubt that he would push on to his third hundred in five first-class innings.

Although all of Sussex's big names were absent, the team still contained six capped players and the batsmen at least had something to prove.

After scoring just 42 runs in six Championship innings Richard Montgomerie had more need than most for a decent score.

He made a quick 49 but will consider that he missed out, especially as his innings ended with a tame clip straight to mid-wicket.

Carl Hopkinson was happy to play the anchor role in the first part of the day and did it well, going to what was his maiden first-class 50 in the same over as Yardy reached his.

But on 64 he took on Mortaza's arm after a firm push to mid on and was just beaten by a direct hit.

Yardy, meanwhile, never looked like getting out.

An off drive down the slope for three took him to his hundred in the 58th over, 60 of which had come in boundaries, and once there he played even more expansively, particularly when skipper Matt Prior was matching him shot for shot in an entertaining fourth wicket stand worth 95 in 19 overs.

Appeal Prior survived a concerted appeal for a catch at slip on 28 and went to his half-century with three fours in an over off Enamul Haque's left-arm tweakers to take his boundary count to eight. Perhaps it was a bit too easy, for in the next over he drove into the hands of extra cover.

Sussex maintained a run rate in excess of four-an-over all day and although Bangladesh's fielding became increasingly ragged they never lost enthusiasm.

By the close Tim Ambrose had moved to with a run of what would be his first half-century since the opening game of last season.

Adding to it today could put genuine pressure on Montgomerie for his place in the Championship side while Sean Heather, due in next on his first-class debut, will be desperate to take his chance before Prior unleashes what is still a strong Sussex bowling attack.