Middlesex's Toby Roland-Jones in action

Middlesex trail Sussex by 25 runs with eight wickets remaining

Despite a career best 6-66 from Toby Roland-Jones, Middlesex continued to struggle on day two of their LV= County Championship Division One clash with Sussex at Hove, which closed with the North Londoners trailing by 25 runs, with eight wickets intact.

Resuming on 106 for three, Ed Joyce and Michael Yardy took their fourth wicket stand up to 78 in 34 overs. Joyce moved to a 119-ball half-century in the second over of the day, after which Yardy cover drove Gareth Berg for four. But, for the most part, Middlesex had the better of the opening exchanges.

If evidence were needed that there was still some uneven bounce to exploit, Joyce took a blow to the ribs off Toby Roland-Jones, who struck two overs later when the Irishman received a brute of a delivery, which looped up off the shoulder of the bat to John Simpson behind the stumps.

Joyce’s watchful 68 had come in 237 minutes, off 177 balls and it included eight boundaries.

In the 59th over, Yardy helped Roland-Jones to the rope at fine leg before ending the over with a cover driven four, which took him to his fifty in 106 deliveries.

Luke Wright on drove Corey Collymore for four only to edge Tim Murtagh low to Dawid Malan at second slip three overs later to make it 166 for five.

Yardy responded by despatching Berg through cover point before driving him through wide mid-off for another four.

Having been 182 for five at lunch, Sussex had stretched their lead to 115 by tea. Shortly after the break, Brown square drove Collymore for four. In the 77th over, Yardy dabbed the West Indian to the fence at third man to register the first batting point of the match.

Steve Magoffin came to the crease when Ben Brown nibbled at a short ball from Roland-Jones, who was given first use with the new cherry.

Yardy on drove Murtagh and straight drove Roland-Jones before Magoffin look a leaf out of his partner’s book by straight and on driving Murtagh for two boundaries in the space of three deliveries.

Yardy’s four and a half hour stay came to an end when he failed to control a pull off Roland-Jones to go caught at deep backward square leg for 89.

But any encouragement Middlesex might have taken from the wicket of the former Sussex captain ebbed away as James Anyon combined with Magoffin to put on 43 in 13 overs for Sussex’s eighth wicket.

Magoffin, who was allowed to hone his favoured cover drive to perfection, enjoyed a moment of good fortune, on 26, when he was dropped in the slips off Berg. But, in the 102nd over, an attempted cut off Collymore eventually proved to be the Australian’s undoing.

Shortly after tea, Anyon was bowled after aiming a loose drive at Roland-Jones, who then trapped Monty Panesar leg before to finish with figures of six for 66 – the best by a Middlesex bowler in this year’s County Championship.

Needing 117 to make Sussex bat again, Chris Rogers and Sam Robson took a fair chunk out of the deficit by putting on 72 in 18 overs.

Robson, whose contribution of 21 included a solitary boundary, played second fiddle to his captain, who set his stall out by clipping Magoffin through midwicket in the fourth over and pulling Anyon in the ninth.

Three overs later, the 34-year-old straight drove Magoffin for four before whipping him backward of square on the leg side for another boundary to bring up the fifty partnership.

With Panesar getting the ball to grip from the Sea End, Rogers was prized out by a lifting delivery, to go caught behind for 48. Five overs later, Joe Denly was trudging back to the dressing room, having been bowled by Magoffin after playing an indeterminate shot.

Roland-Jones, who was sent in as nightwatchman, survived a chance at short leg off Magoffin in the penultimate over, while Robson ended the day with an unbeaten 24 off 87 deliveries.