Seventeen wickets fell on an extraordinary first day at Hove which ended with Sussex firmly in the driving seat against second-placed Hampshire in their Cricinfo Championship Division Two match.

Jason Lewry took 6-37, the best performance by a Sussex bowler for two years, as Hampshire were routed for just 81 after Chris Adams had won the toss and backed his attack to make the most of ideal swing bowling conditions.

Adams then hit 71 off 78 balls as Sussex closed on 220-7, a lead of 139.

Lewry had earlier made the breakthough in the first over of his second spell when he trapped Derek Kenway leg before to claim his 300th first-class wicket.

He had Giles White caught behind two overs later before Billy Taylor, a late replacement for back strain victim Mark Robinson, got in on the act by removing Robin Smith and Neil Johnson in the space of three balls to leave Hampshire 42-4.

Taylor bowled eight maidens in his ten-over spell, but this was Lewry's day and he returned after lunch to run through the lower order as Hampshire lost their last five wickets for five runs in the space of 14 balls.

Only Will Kendall, with a painstaking 22 in 29 overs, defied the bowlers before he became Lewry's fifth victim. Alan Mullally fell next ball to leave Lewry on a hat-trick when Hampshire bat again.

There was wicket each for James Kirtley and Adams, his first in the Championship for nearly a year, as Hampshire subsided to the second-lowest total of the season.

Alex Morris removed both Sussex's in-form openers with just 19 on the board before Adams launched a stylish counter-attack, reaching his fifty with a six and four off Shaun Udal in the last over before tea.

He was bowled by Mullally for 71 while Sussex's middle order batsmen weren't able to press on after getting starts.

But Michael Yardy stood firm and he will resume this morning on 34 although he did receive a stroke of luck in the final over when he was bowled by a Mascerenhas no-ball.

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