Joe Root stands tall for Yorkshire CCC in the sunshine at Hove

The sun poked its head through cotton wool clouds – as if fascinated to see what all the fuss was about – and the temperature was perfect for playing and watching.

There are few nicer grounds than Sussex’s headquarters, a stone's throw from the English Channel and the hustle and bustle of the long coastal road.

If the setting was delightful and ideal for cricket, then Yorkshire’s day was pretty good, too.

After inviting Sussex to take first use of a green-looking pitch, one that promised help for the seamers and hard yakka for batsmen, Yorkshire bowled them out for 150 in 44.1 overs, George Hill leading the way with 4-22 and Ben Coad taking 3-37.

Wickets continued to tumble thereafter, but not with the same frequency as before. Come day’s end, Yorkshire were 176-7, a lead of 26, the visitors grateful for a typically classy innings from Joe Root, who dabbed, drove and deftly manipulated his way to a fine 67.

Having gone into their previous game against Glamorgan at Headingley with two specialist spinners (Dan Moriarty and Dom Bess), Yorkshire this time plumped for an all-seam attack, their line-up showing four changes.

Harry Brook was unavailable due to England commitments and Matty Fisher missing with an ankle injury. Back came all-rounders George Hill and Jordan Thompson, and, for their first appearances of the campaign, batsman James Wharton and pace bowler Dom Leech.

For Sussex, pace bowler Jayden Seales, the division’s leading wicket-taker, was absent with a groin niggle, while Jofra Archer was easing his way back with the Sussex seconds against Kent in Beckenham.

The match began in somewhat misleading fashion with Yorkshire leaking runs as Thompson, in particular, struggled with his line.

Running up the slope from the Sea End, Thompson was guilty of providing too much width, the left-handed Tom Haines cover-driving him for three boundaries in an over that also contained four leg-byes.

Sussex had been rattling along at six-an-over when the ever-reliable Coad landed the first punch, Tom Clark defending a regulation catch to Root at first slip.

Four overs later, Root dropped Tom Alsop in the same position off the same man, but after Hill had struck with his fourth delivery after replacing Thompson, inducing Haines to edge to Adam Lyth at second, Alsop failed to capitalise on the let-off as Hill got rid of him in his second over, Fin Bean as excellent as ever low down at third.

Yorkshire know all about Cheteshwar Pujara, who played for them in 2015 and 2018, and the Indian, now 36, showed he has lost none of his class with a sweet cover-driven four off Hill followed by a whipped leg-side boundary off Coad.

But Leech – the strapping 23-year-old playing only his sixth first-class game – made a key intervention towards the end of the opening session when he had Pujara caught by wicketkeeper Jonny Tattersall, diving to his right, leaving the hosts 91-4.

After lunching on 105-4, the session having swung from Sussex in the first hour to Yorkshire in the second, the visitors made light work of the rest of the batting.

Coad trapped John Simpson lbw on the crease. Fynn Hudson-Prentice nibbled at the same bowler and was caught behind. Danny Lamb pushed forward at Hill and edged to Bean at third. Jack Carson attempted an off-drive at Hill and was taken by Tattersall. Ollie Robinson – two balls after depositing Thompson for a leg-side six – edged him somewhat tamely to Lyth at second. And Thompson rounded things off – and put a better gloss on his figures – when James Coles slapped him to Shan Masood at mid-on.

It was a dismal collapse by the Second Division leaders, the final five wickets tumbling for 19 runs. Five players reached double figures, with Coles’ 38 the top score.

Sussex needed to strike early and were given a lift firstly by some unplayable-looking deliveries by Robinson to Lyth in an opening over he somehow survived, and then by Bean’s departure to the penultimate ball of the second over, caught at second slip off the left-armer Sean Hunt.

Lyth flashed the same bowler to third slip to leave the visitors 31-2, which became 37-3 when Masood edged Robinson also to third slip.

When Hill went on the stroke of tea, driving Hudson-Prentice to second, Yorkshire were 59-4, but Root and Wharton added 42 in composed style, Wharton playing nicely before Hudson-Prentice trapped him leg-before.

Root eased to his fifty from 63 balls, showing all his skill in challenging conditions, and received staunch support from Tattersall in a stand of 58, ended when Root was lbw to Haines. Tattersall edged Hunt to third – the day’s 10th slip catch.