Prior hundred rescues Sussex

Matt Prior scored his first hundred for over a year in front of England captain Andrew Strauss and national selector James Whitaker to hold Sussex's batting together on day one of their County Championship clash with Middlesex at Hove.

The 26-year-old's unbeaten 123 came in a disappointing total of 217 as the second division leaders' decision to bat first on a well-grassed pitch was undermined by some consistently probing Middlesex seam bowling.

Prior gave one difficult chance on 15 when Scott Newman dropped him running in from the backward-point boundary, but otherwise he played with his customary freedom - particularly through the off-side - as he struck 15 boundaries from 149 balls faced in 222 minutes.

Prior looked like he might miss out on what was his 21st first-class hundred when Sussex slumped to 166 for 8, but Monty Panesar, another player looking to impress Strauss, helped him add 46 for the ninth wicket - of which he contributed seven.

But while Prior prospered once he had got established, batting was a desperate struggle for his team-mates - none of whom managed more than skipper Murray Goodwin's 17. The pair added 62 for the fourth wicket after Tim Murtagh had picked up two wickets with his new ball outswingers and Joe Gatting had lost his off stump to Gareth Berg to leave the leaders reeling on 28 for 3.

Goodwin was looking the part when he chased a wide one from Murtagh and was well taken low down by Strauss at slip. Sussex's middle order offered little support to Prior with Andrew Hodd falling for nine to former team-mate Tom Smith. The left-arm spinner, who left Hove to join Middlesex in the winter, beat him in the flight in his fourth over to claim the first Championship wicket of his career.

James Anyon sacrificed his wicket after a mix-up with Prior ended with both men at the same end and Berg wrapped up the innings with two wickets in three overs. Middlesex's batsmen found the going just as difficult and Strauss' poor early-season form continued when he fell for 13.

Nine championship innings have yielded 226 runs for Strauss, who had just played the shot of the day - a straight drive off Rana Naved - when he gloved an attempted pull off the next delivery and was caught by Prior, keeping wicket for the first time this season ahead of the start of the Test series against Bangladesh in three weeks.

After a brief stoppage for bad light, Middlesex were plunged into more trouble when Corey Collymore had Newman caught behind before pinning Dawid Malan for a second-ball duck. Another stoppage ended play 11 overs early with Middlesex 46 for 3 and much depending on Owais Shah, who finished unbeaten on nine.