COREY Collymore might not bowl at the same express pace as England’s James Anderson but in his own way he fulfils just as important a role for Sussex.

After the county had squandered a promising first-day position by losing their last five wickets for 42 against Lancashire yesterday, Collymore struck twice in nine balls to spark his side back into life against Lancashire at Hove.

Anderson had looked nigh on unplayable at times as he took 3-11 in eight overs to finish with 6-56 in what is likely to be his only Championship game of the season before he links up with England.

However, Collymore was soon displaying the virtues that persuaded coach Mark Robinson to re-hire him after he took 26 wickets at 27.96 last season when he removed openers Paul Horton and Tom Smith in the space of nine deliveries.

Robinson said: “Corey bowled really well but him and Damien (Wright) have only just arrived in the country and they looked a bit leggy after tea but they bowled really well together.

“Corey gives us control. He’s a very skillful and clever bowler and will often come in from the end no one wants to bowl at.

“He just does enough either way and bowls with an excellent seam position. You would never lose sleep facing Corey but he’s at you a bit more than you think.”

It was not quite like the days when Imran Khan and Garth Le Roux were kicking back from the boundary boards but it is probably the first time since then that Sussex’s new-ball attack has consisted of two overseas players and in his own way Damien Wright, who has a smooth action and fast arm, was as impressive as Collymore.

The Australian even opted for a stint up the slope – which he’d been dreading in the build-up to the match – and should have been rewarded with the wicket of Steven Croft on 22, but namesake Luke shelled a difficult chance at second slip.

Lancashire had been 102-4 at tea but, boosted by his reprieve, Croft added an unbroken 107 with Mark Chilton in the final session as both men reached half-centuries in contrasting styles to reduce Sussex’s lead to 80.

The most fluent batting of the game so far came from South African Ashwell Prince whose pedigree includes centuries against eight of the Test-playing nations. He had struck seven crisp boundaries in his 97-ball 56 when an inside edge crashed back onto his stumps attempting his favourite cut shot.

It was a deserved reward for Luke Wright’s purposeful spell while Robin Martin-Jenkins picked up Francois Du Plessis in his second over thanks to a great catch diving to his right by Matt Prior.

Robinson added: “We didn’t get the ball to swing as much as James Anderson but we’re still in the game.

“If we can get a bit of energy into Corey and Damien’s legs then we will come back hard today.”

Sussex had seemed stuck in neutral for much of the morning. Losing Ed Joyce, who had added just a single to his overnight 89, in the fifth over of the day was a blow and their lower order predictably struggled against high-class practioners as Anderson and Glen Chapple, who finished with 4-69 on a ground where he took seven wickets last season.

Martin-Jenkins (67) was floored by a yorker to become Anderson’s sixth victim and Sussex’s ability to deal with him in the second innings could be key to their chances of winning a game which has ebbed and flowed intriguingly so far.

l Luke Wright will miss Sussex’s Championship game against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl next week after he was called into the England Lions squad for their four-day match against West Indies at Derby, starting next Thursday.