Matt Prior's unbeaten double hundred and a debut century by Luke Wright pulled Sussex around after Loughborough UCCE were threatening to embarrass them at Hove.

The plan was for senior batsmen to get time in the middle and youngsters to press their claims for promotion in three relatively undemanding days against the students.

But a Loughborough side containing several players with county experience were soon showing why they are regarded as the best of the six university centre of excellence teams.

On a relaid pitch being used for only the second time, David Wigley and Phil Lewis exploited variable bounce early on to have Sussex reeling at 44-4 in the first hour as Richard Montgomerie, Tim Ambrose and Tony Cottey all missed out.

Prior and Kevin Innes (38) staged a recovery in a fifth wicket stand of 100 before Wigley, who is on Worcestershire's books, took two wickets in an over after lunch. But 144-6 was as good as it got for Loughborough and their coach Graham Dilley, the former England fast bowler.

Prior covets a move up the Sussex order and this opportunity to bat at four, the position where he averaged more than 60 for England A during the winter, was too good to miss.

Mind you, he might have felt differently when he walked out in the fourth over with Montgomerie and Cottey already back in the pavilion and the Loughborough seamers relishing helpful conditions.

Prior had to knuckle down early on, but the students' back-up bowling lacked its earlier menace and he soon began to open his shoulders.

Wright picked up his partner's aggressive tempo and either side of tea they added 229 in 50 overs for the seventh wicket, matching each other shot for shot at one stage against some increasingly dispirited bowlers.

The 19-year-old, who was briefly at Loughborough himself, joined some select company, including Hugh Bartlett and Ranjitsinhji, when he became the sixth player in the county's history to score a century on his first-class debut.

He hit 17 boundaries and faced 146 balls, departing to a standing ovation from an appreciative crowd enjoying their first sight of an uncomplicated batsmen who, on this evidence, could have a big career ahead of him.

Meanwhile, Prior went from strength to strength, hitting through the line and taking on the short ball with equal confidence.

It was a shame there were not a few more people to witness his unabashed delight when he took 16 off Wigley's first over with the new ball to reach a maiden double hundred. When the declaration followed shortly afterwards, he'd batted for just under five-and-a-quarter hours, faced 257 balls and hit two sixes and 30 fours.

Moments later Prior was getting his first opportunity of the season to keep wicket to a new ball attack of James Kirtley and Jason Voros who, like Wright, was making his first-class debut for the county.

Injury and England commitments meant it was Kirtley's first bowl at Hove since last July but he was soon in the groove while Voros bowled at a lively clip up the slope and made the breakthrough in the 12th over when James Adams was beaten for pace and lost his middle stump.

Voros struck for the second time when the match resumed today.

He had George Walker caught behind for five to make Loughborough UCCE 37-2.

Kirtley opted to open the attack with Kevin Innes and Voros, but the stand-in captain brought himself on after Innes had conceded 17 runs in a seven over spell.

Clinton, son of former Surrey batsman Grahame, and Vikram Atri took the score to 68-2 from 28 overs when Yardy replaced Voros.