Sussex are on course for their first Championship win of the season after their bowlers heaped more misery on fading champions Yorkshire at Headingley yesterday.

The Tykes, who have lost four of their first five games in defence of their title, ended the second day on 195-6 and the follow on target of 286 is still some way off.

They were grateful for the contribution of Anthony McGrath who chose the perfect time to score his first half-century of the season after his side had slumped to 104-5 just before tea in reply to Sussex's 435.

The moans and groans from the Yorkshire members sheltering from the cold wind in the Football Stand were getting more audible with the fall of every wicket.

But the mood improved as wicketkeeper Richard Blakey provided McGrath with solid support in a sixth-wicket stand of 72 which was broken when Billy Taylor trapped McGrath leg before for 71 with the fourth ball of a new spell.

Blakey finished unbeaten on 41 and getting his wicket early today can expose a lengthy Yorkshire tail.

Sussex are in the pound seats and coach Peter Moores was happy with the control exercised by his bowlers.

He said: "We deserve to be in the position we are. For the first time this season we have conceded less than three runs an over after going at 3.7 before this game. That's why the follow-on target is still some way off for them.

"We bowled good channels and good lengths all day and on this pitch if you do that something will happen for you eventually."

Sussex certainly bowled with more discipline than their hosts had done on the first day when they squandered an excellent position after reducing the visitors to 70-4.

Their seamers stuck to good lines for most of the day and built up pressure, waiting for the odd ball to misbehave or for frustration to get better of impatient batsmen.

Five successive maidens after lunch set the tone for an enthralling afternoon session before James Kirtley made the breakthrough with the first of three wickets in seven balls when Craig White played on via the bottom of his bat as he drove on the up through the off side.

A creasebound Michael Lumb was leg before to the next delivery and Martin-Jenkins was rewarded for an excellent spell in the following over when he drew Matthew Wood forward and found the edge as the ball seamed away off the pitch.

McGrath and Simon Katich, their temporary stand-in for Darren Lehmann, both had escapes off the unfortunate Michael Yardy, McGrath edging just in front of wicketkeeper Matt Prior and the Australian seeing a full blooded drive dropped at square leg by Mark Davis.

The fourth wicket pair put on 62 in 19 overs before they were parted by Kevin Innes who took 2-17 in an excellent seven over spell.

Katich was leg before to a ball which swung late before a good piece of thinking by Innes proved Vic Craven's undoing. Having just beaten him all ends up with a seaming delivery which missed the off stump by a couple of inches, Innes floated the next ball up and Craven was caught behind off a thick edge aiming an expansive drive towards cover.

McGrath grew in confidence after a shaky start and played no better shot than the full-bloodied square cut off Martin-Jenkins which brought up his half-century.

He had made 71 off 152 balls with nine fours when Taylor struck a crucial blow with his first Championship wicket since July 28 last year when he lured him half-forward and won a leg before appeal from David Shepherd as the ball moved in late.

Earlier Sussex's last four wickets added another 60 runs.