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Sussex opener Tom Haines made his first hundred in the County Championship since September 2022, but their game against Northamptonshire looks likely to end in a draw

The 25-year-old left-hander - who hit six fifties last season without converting any of them into a century - made 133, easing to the 10th first-class hundred of his career as Sussex reached 351-6 at stumps on day three, trailing by 20.

They had been in a spot of bother at 94-3 but James Coles, who celebrated his 20th birthday last week, embellished his burgeoning reputation with a stylish 78 in a fourth-wicket stand of 137 to go with his three wickets.

Left-arm spinner Saif Zaib checked Sussex progress by removing both set batters and Sussex captain John Simpson.

But, in the final hour Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Danny Lamb wrested back the initiative with some aggressive batting.

Hudson-Prentice thrashed a 38-ball fifty as they added 93 from 70 balls before bad light intervened with 7.4 overs remaining.

It was Haines' day though. He offered one difficult chance on 107 which was put down by wicketkeeper Lewis McManus diving to his left, but otherwise looked comfortable driving or accumulating steadily off the back foot.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.