Robin Martin-Jenkins came up with a career-best 86 just when Sussex needed it most at Arundel yesterday.

The county were in danger of being blown away second division promotion rivals Essex when Mark Ilott and Ronnie Irani made the most of helpful conditions in the first hour to reduce them to 45-4.

Bearing in mind the falability of Sussex's lower order batting, there was every chance at that stage that they could have been rolled over cheaply, handing Essex a decisive advantage in a contest crucial to both counties' promotion ambitions.

But Martin-Jenkins responded to the crisis by producing the most fluent innings he has played for Sussex.

The difficult bit for him will be to build on it in the second half of the season.

He has been talked about as a potential England all-rounder of the future, but if he is to fulfill his own ambitions of playing at the highest level it's his batting rather than his bowling which he needs to work on.

Too often he has looked settled, only to get out in the 20s or 30s.

A few more innings like yesterday's and he should be on the plane to the West Indies with England A next winter rather than waiting at home on stand-by.

The supporters who have seen most of his 54 previous first-class innings couldn't remember him playing with as much fluency.

Most of his 12 boundaries came from gloriously timed off drives but his back foot play was equally assured.

The Sussex crowd were getting ready to applaud a maiden century when Danny Law returned to the attack, suddenly found an extra yard of pace, and beat him with a beauty which left him off the pitch.

Sussex's little and large combination put on 150 for the fifth wicket with Tony Cottey, currently in the best form of his Sussex career, making 83.

The only disappointment was that neither went on to make the big score which could have swung the contest decisively Sussex's way.

Cottey was content to play the supporting role while Martin-Jenkins blazed away. But in the context of what could be a low-scoring contest his second decent score of the season against Essex could still be crucial.

He hit 13 boundaries, cutting and pulling with his usual relish as he became the first Sussex player to pass 500 runs this season.

But, like Martin-Jenkins, Cottey nibbled at a ball outside off stump he might have left alone as Law, who had come in for some stick before lunch, benefitted from the extra bounce evident at the Castle End.

The last five wickets only added 55, but there was no lack of application among the tail although Andy Patterson's poor run continued when he became Law's third victim for three which makes it 29 runs in eight innings since he displaced Shaun Humphries.

Umer Rashid was last out after making a patient 35 while Jason Lewry gave him excellent support in a stand of 34 for the eighth wicket, the second highest of the innings.

Lewry was caught off the helmet grille trying to pull as Cowan mopped up the tail to finish with 4-61, his best return of the season.

Sussex would undoubtedly have settled for a total of 265 after the traumas of the first hour.

As always at Arundel the bowlers got some assistance early on and Ilott passed 500 first-class wickets for Essex when Toby Peirce got a feint edge to a fine outswinger which bounced and left him.

Michael Bevan made a rare misjudgement, shouldering arms to his second ball which nipped back to trim the off bail as Ilott took 2-12 in seven overs with the new ball.

Chris Adams fell in similar fashion to the Australian and Richard Montgomerie was leg before trying to work the ball through square.

Essex had to face 15 overs in reply and started badly. Paul Prichard edged James Kirtley's outswinger to Patterson and both openers were back in the pavilion with just nine runs on the board when Paul Grayson was late onto a full-length ball from Jason Lewry.

Darren Robinson survived two confident leg before appeals but the pitch is essentially good for batting and Sussex's hopes could depend on how quickly they get rid of Stuart Law this morning.