Sussex are in a good position in their opening Championship match against Middlesex, although wickets continued to tumble at Lord's.

The county bowled out Middlesex for just 116 this morning to give themselves a first innings lead of 123 but they lost four wickets in taking their lead to 212, reaching 79-4 in their second innings just before tea on the second day.

Murray Goodwin was leg before to Australian quickie Joe Dawes just for lunch, shouldering arms to a ball which nipped back into his pads.

And fellow opener Richard Montgomerie fell to the fourth ball after the resumption when he was bowled by Chad Keegan via an inside edge.

Tony Cottey and skipper Chris Adams rebuilt the innings in a third-wicket stand of 35 after just over an hour's play had been lost to rain and bad light.

But Middlesex got themselves back into the contest by removing both batsmen in the space of three overs.

Adams was lbw to Abdul Razzaq and Cottey, who had played well for his 38, lost his middle stump to Simon Cook, aiming another big drive through the offside.