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Jonathan Trott scored a century as Warwickshire had the better of day two against Sussex before the hosts recovered in the evening session.

Having resumed on 86, Trott eventually departed for 124 after Ian Bell (112) only added four to his overnight score.

Sam Hain made 53 but the Bears then lost their last six wickets for just 19 runs as they were bowled out for 440.

Keith Barker reduced Sussex to 14-3 but David Wiese (66 no) and Ben Brown (58 no) helped them reach 224-5 at stumps.

Warwickshire, who went into the match 33 points ahead of third-placed Sussex, now seem on the brink of a return to Division One of the County Championship.

Beginning the day on 308-2, Bell and his long-time Bears and England team-mate Trott, who is playing his penultimate game before retirement, added a further 24 for the third wicket.

Danny Briggs trapped Bell lbw to break a 230-run partnership before Archer (4-66) took four wickets in 11 deliveries to wrap up the Warwickshire tail.

But, with second-placed Kent in a commanding position against Gloucestershire, Sussex's hopes of promotion appeared to be slipping away when their top-order batsmen failed to make a mark, with Phil Salt and Harry Finch both out for ducks.

With Tom Haines unable to bat because of an ankle injury, Olly Stone, on the day he was called up for England's ODI squad, removed Michael Burgess (46) and Luke Wells to leave the hosts on 87-5. But Wiese and Brown fought back before the close with an unbroken stand of 137.

Sussex all-rounder David Wiese:

"It's a pitch where the odd ball is keeping low or misbehaving so I felt it was important to get forward and be positive and try and take the game back to Warwickshire a bit.

"Hopefully we can build on the stand we've got going in the morning. Ben Brown and I always try to bat positively and we have scored quickly which has taken the game forward.

"We've got to win really to stay in the promotion race but there is still a lot of hard work for us to do against a quality Warwickshire side but we've given ourselves a bit of a chance."

Warwickshire fast bowler Olly Stone told ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ WM:

"It's a dream come true being picked by England. But before I meet up with the squad I've got a couple of big games with Warwickshire.

"That's what I'm focussed on for now. Hopefully getting a good result here against Sussex and then Kent next week, so we can go up as champions.

"After coming back from my injury last year, it was frustrating to finish last season with a bruised heel. The only little blip I've had this season has been a side strain, so it's nice to know I can string a few games together."