Wiese and Garton keep promotion-chasing Sussex in touch

Sussex fought back after Derbyshire's openers had put on a century stand to restrict their visitors to 338 for 9 on the first day of their crucial Specsavers County Championship game.

Playing at Hove for the first time in the Championship since June 5, Sussex put Derbyshire in then saw them reach 227 for 3 at tea. But the visitors lost six wickets in the final session with no one bettering the 51 made by Luis Reece and Billy Godleman. It later emerged that Godleman had suffered a probable broken hand after being by a beamer from Stuart Whittingham and his season is likely over.

Sussex, needing to win to keep the pressure on Worcestershire in the battle for the second promotion place in Division Two, bowled disappointingly with the new ball.

Reese and Ben Slater had Derbyshire's 100 up in the 25th over as only Ollie Robinson bowled with the necessary control until left-armer George Garton, who has played more first-class games for England Lions than his county this season, picked up wickets in successive overs in his first Championship appearance of the summer.

Shortly after passing 50 for the sixth time this season Reese, who had hit seven fours, was lbw playing no shot to one that nipped back then Slater mis-timed upper cut to third man when Garton dropped short.

Wayne Madsen fell in similar fashion to Reese to give David Wiese the first of his four wickets but Derbyshire recovered nicely in a stand of 87 in 22 overs between Godleman and Alex Hughes for the fourth wicket.

Godleman passed 7000 first-class runs on 42 and went to his sixth fifty of the summer off the first ball after tea before he fell in the next over, caught behind off Garton, having hit six fours.

"I got hit by an accidental beamer from Stuart Whittingham and it looks as if I have broken my hand," Godleman said. "I'll know more in the next 24 hours when I see a specialist but it looks as if my season is over which is obviously frustrating."

Ben Brown, the Sussex captain, said: "I know Billy quite well and it's a real shame for him. Stuart went in afterwards to apologise, it was just one of those unfortunate things."

His departure sparked a collapse with Wiese picking up two smart return catches to dismiss Matt Critchley and later Will Davis, a diving effort to intercept a full-blooded drive.

Stiaan van Zyl ended a promising innings by Alex Hughes on 46 when he was superbly caught at fly slip by Luke Wells. The South African medium-pacer was given the new ball in a surprise move but it paid off as Hardus Viljoen padded up to a straight one.

Harry Podmore was Wiese's fourth victim off a thin edge to Brown but wicketkeeper Harvey Hosein frustrated Sussex's efforts to wrap up the innings with an unbeaten 38 as he and 16-year-old off-spinner Hamidullah Qadri added an unbeaten 21 for the last wicket.