WORCESTERSHIRE struck back after being on the receiving end of a 70-ball 100 from Matt Machan to dismiss Sussex for 345 on the opening day of the LV= County Championship Division One clash at Hove.

The County bowlers responded in fine fashion on a wicket with pace and bounce after Sussex had reached 153-1 at lunch and then 231-3 after deciding to bat.

They claimed maximum bowling points with all-rounder Gareth Andrew following up his half-century and 5-85 against Yorkshire with another three wickets.

There was also the first wickets for Worcestershire for Sri Lankan spinner Sachithra Senanayake who finished with 2-79 from 25 overs. Charlie Morris (two), Jack Shantry (two) and Alex Gidman were the other wicket-takers.

Worcestershire reached 45-0 from 15 overs by the close.

Left-hander Machan, who played in all six of Scotland’s World Cup matches and scored a half century against finalists New Zealand, took toll of a short boundary on one side of the ground in making a career-best 135.

Morris made an early breakthrough in dismissing Luke Wells who, playing away from his body, was caught in the gulley by Tom Kohler-Cadmore when on nine and the total 16-1 in the sixth over.

Shantry struck in the third over after lunch as Ed Joyce, on 49, flashed at a delivery and Gidman held onto a sharp chance at first slip with the score 161-2 in the 34th over.

Joyce and Machan added 145 in 27.4 overs for the second wicket. Machan went to his century off 70 balls, which included four sixes and 13 fours.

Morris picked up his second wicket when Craig Cachopa was undone by a delivery of extra lift after making eight. It hit the shoulder of the bat and Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell held onto a fine diving catch at second slip.

Machan’s fine knock ended when he holed out to Richard Oliver at deep mid-wicket off Shantry with the total 231-4.

Andrew collected his first scalp when Ben Brown (19) went for a hook and top-edged a catch to substitute Joe Leach, again at mid-wicket.

Luke Wright scored freely and reached his third half century of the season from 57 balls with eight fours out of 284-5.

But Gidman ended his knock on 51 in his second over when Wright top-edged a catch to Senanayake in front of the pavilion.

Sussex reached tea on 300-6 from 64 overs and Senanayake struck with successive balls after the resumption as he sent back Ashar Zaidi (7) and former Worcestershire player Steve Magoffin (0) — the latter lbw — to reduce Sussex to 306-8.

Andrew polished off the innings by bowling Tynan Mills for five and having Matthew Hobden caught at third slip by Fell for a single to leave Ajmal Shahzad undefeated on 45.